You Say It's Your Birthday
by Diva In The House
Summary: House/OC. House arrives at his office to find flowers. Who sent them? And how did they know it was his birthday? Features guest appearances by the new team, Cuddy, and Wilson. Now a multi-chapter fic. Rating changed to M.
1. Chapter 1

**Taking a break from my other O/C story to have a little fun. I don't own anything related to House.**

"What the hell is this?" House froze in front of his office door.

Wilson shrugged, then peered inside House's office. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it looks like…a bouquet."

House rolled his eyes and pushed through the door. Whoever had sent the monstrosity that sat on his desk had surely left a card. When he found out who committed this act of foolishness…well, suffice to say that someone had some serious humiliation coming.

Foreman, Thirteen, and Taub were sitting around the conference room table, evaluating case files, hoping to find a potential patient. House lumbered into the conference room, casting a quick glance at the trio as he poured himself a cup of coffee, dumping two packets of sugar in it and stirring.

"So." House sipped at his coffee as the team turned at the sound of his voice. "Anybody see anyone drop that…_thing_ on my desk this morning?"

Taub shook his head, Thirteen suppressed a small smile behind her hand, and Foreman looked thoughtful. House noticed this immediately and pointed at him.

"You know something! Out with it, or it's my clinic duty and yours for the next month."

Foreman rolled his eyes. "I do that anyway. Some delivery guy dropped them off this morning. I just had him put them in your office." House gave him a questioning look. "Yeah, I thought it was odd, too." _Who in their right mind would get House flowers?_

"Maybe you've got a secret admirer." Taub deadpanned. "You must have given your last hooker one hell of a tip." Thirteen snorted as House fixed Taub with a deadly glare.

"I'm obviously wasting my time here." House drained his mug and set it on the counter. "I'm out of here. Page me if you manage to dig up something interesting." He limped out of the conference room, muttering something about the incompetence of his team of morons.

After House left, the three doctors looked at each other, finally exploding in laughter. When House found out who sent him those flowers…

# # #

Cuddy was going over paperwork when House came crashing through her office door, standing in front of her desk, an irritated expression on his face.

She looked up, gracing House with a patient look that she certainly didn't feel. "Is there something you want, House?"

House continued glaring. "_Someone_ left a ridiculously large bouquet of flowers on my desk this morning. Now, why would someone do that?"

Cuddy rolled her eyes. Was this really worth interrupting her work? "You barged in here to ask me that? Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Nope." House rocked back and forth, leaning on his cane. "I've got a mystery to solve, and the Scooby Gang is no help. Neither are you."

With that parting shot, House turned on his heel and limped out of her office, slamming the door behind him. Cuddy couldn't help the smile that curved her lips upward. Whoever had bought House those flowers had no idea what they were in for.

# # #

After leaving Cuddy's office, House made his way to the clinic. He had noticed a new nurse working behind the desk about a month or so before, and she was working this morning.

"Make a note…" House squinted at her name tag, mostly to check out her chest. Her curves rivaled Cuddy's, and he finally raised his blue eyes to meet her hazel ones. "…Michelle. Doctor Gregory House signing in at 11:00."

Michelle Morrison, RN, chuckled in amusement at House's antics. Of all the doctors that rotated through clinic duty, she found him the most fascinating. He made no secret of his disdain for the mostly idiotic patients that found their way here, and she couldn't help agreeing with him most of the time.

She found him quite appealing despite his acerbic personality. Michelle overheard a good deal of what went on around the clinic, and she had noticed some things about this Doctor House. He had one friend that she knew of, Doctor Wilson, he of the kind brown eyes and sweet demeanor. How those two ended up friends, she would never understand.

"Noted and filed, Doctor House." Michelle handed him a file folder, and his hand brushed hers as he took it from her. "Your first patient's in Exam Room Two."

He flipped it open, ready to automatically roll his eyes. His expression changed from annoyed to curious. If his instinct was correct, this could be his ticket out of clinic duty today.

House's first clinic case turned out to be a major disappointment. So did the third, the seventh, and the tenth. Every time he picked up another folder, he snuck a peek over to the desk. Michelle was still working, her light brown ponytail bobbing up and down as she dealt with paperwork, signed in patients, and chatted with her co-workers. Occasionally she would catch him, smirking at House before he quickly looked away, bellowing for his next patient.

Finally the waiting area cleared out, and House took the opportunity to sign out. "Make a note, Michelle." House casually glanced at her as he signed the clipboard. "Doctor Gregory House, signing out at 5:00."

Michelle checked her watch, amused. "It's only 4:45, Doctor House. Nice try."

House huffed in annoyance. "Close enough. You'll let me slide, won't you?" He made a big show of batting his eyelashes. "Just this once, please?"

"Fine…but just this once." Michelle glanced back up at him, watching his hand as he signed out. She took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with House. "Word on the street is that you got flowers today. Is it your birthday or something?"

House scowled. "How did you hear about that?"

Michelle shrugged noncommittally. "You know how hospitals are. Nothing but gossip mills. Word gets around." She stood up and leaned a little closer, lowering her voice. "I've also heard that you've got a little…_thing_ for someone. But that's probably just a nasty rumor."

House felt a little uncomfortable at the invasion of his personal space. How the hell did she know about the flowers? And he did not have a _thing_ for anyone. He was just…bored because he didn't have a case, and the clinic was sometimes a good source for new cases. Besides, it was close to Cuddy's office, and therefore easier to harass her between clinic patients. The fact that it allowed him to get closer to Michelle was totally irrelevant.

"Did whoever gave you the flowers sign the card?"

"What?" House snapped back to reality with a start.

Michelle rolled her eyes. "The flowers. Surely there was a card with them."

House shrugged. "Didn't get that far."

"Maybe you should." Michelle's mouth quirked upward. "If nothing else, you'll know who to cuss out."

A small light seemed to spark House's eyes. "That could be…fun." He immediately turned and started toward the elevators. Michelle smirked to herself as he waited for the elevator, tapping his cane on the floor. She hoped she was still around when he found out who sent him those flowers. His reaction, she suspected, would be priceless.

# # #

House pushed through the door into his office. It was quiet, his team having left for the day. He regarded the flowers on his desk with suspicion. It was a well-known fact that he didn't want his birthday acknowledged, not even by those closest to him. Whoever sent him these obviously didn't have a clue.

He considered the possibility that the whole thing was a prank. House wouldn't put it past Wilson to pull something like this. It would be just one more battle in their never ending prank war, and totally appropriate.

Finally, House reached into the bouquet, coming back with the card. He pulled out the flap, and pulled out the card, turning it over in his hand. The handwriting wasn't familiar, but it could have been filled out by someone at the flower shop. House took his glasses out of his shirt pocket and shoved them on his face, scanning the card.

A slow smile overtook his rough face, and a deep chuckle emerged from him. He tapped the card against his palm, considering his options. He picked up the flowers and left his office, heading for the elevators, garnering more than a few strange looks along the way.

He stepped off the elevator, headed toward the clinic desk, hiding behind the bouquet as best he could. Michelle was still working the desk, and he set the flowers down with a loud thump, startling her. House poked his head around the bouquet, a smirk on his face, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You…" House was momentarily rendered speechless. Michelle merely regarded him with an equally amused expression. Hazel met blue across the desk, neither one of them speaking.

Wilson breezed by on his way out, and House took the opportunity to grab his attention.

"Wilson!"

He turned around, dreading what might come next. "Yes, House?"

"Don't bother waiting up for me tonight." House crowed across the clinic. "I'll be busy opening my birthday present…all night long." He jerked a thumb in Michelle's direction. "I've got a _big_ present for her, if you know what I mean."

Wilson rolled his eyes, wishing he had just kept on walking.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!" House bellowed to Wilson's retreating back, then turned to Michelle, ignoring the titters of laughter around him. "What do you think. Too much?"

Michelle snickered, amused by Doctor Wilson's reaction to Doctor House's announcement. "Nope. Just right, I'd say."

House leaned over the counter, a hopeful expression on his face. "So, about the card…were you serious?"

"Of course I was." Michelle smiled warmly at House.

"Well, then." House looked thoughtful. "My place, 7:30. Bring food." He handed the card back to her after scribbling his address and phone number.

Michelle watched House as he picked up the flowers and limped toward the exit. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, glad her gamble had paid off. It looked like it was going to be a happy birthday for both of them after all.

**You know what to do from here. Read and review. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay...so I couldn't leave this one well enough alone. :D As usual, I don't own anything House-related.**

House sat at his piano that evening, quietly playing and sipping at his bourbon. He kept looking at the flowers from Michelle with suspicion, still questioning her motives. Despite his bold announcement to Wilson earlier, he doubted that she would actually follow through. Women didn't chase House around, as a general rule.

There was something about Michelle, though. He had noticed her about a month ago when Cuddy finally goaded him into doing a small portion of his clinic duty. When he had signed in with his normal grumbling about the morons that took up the waiting room, she had actually snickered a little instead of rolling her eyes like the other clinic nurses.

That got his attention. House decided the matter needed further investigation, and would wander down to the clinic anytime he and his team didn't have a case. He got to know Michelle's schedule fairly well, and he might have sent a small smile or a look her way. Not that he would ever admit it, of course.

Wilson had told him to ask her out before the woman slapped him with a restraining order, but he just couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He just couldn't see the point. He'd only find a way to screw it up, even if he managed to get past a first date.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He grabbed his cane, pushing himself away from the piano to answer the door. According to his watch, it was 7:29. If it was Michelle…_Nah, it can't be._ Even if she was telling the truth, and they did share a birthday, that didn't mean she wanted to spend it with him.

He flung open the door, and for once he was speechless. Michelle was standing at his door, two bags of Chinese food in her hand. She was dressed casually in a clingy t-shirt, denim shorts, and brown leather sandals, her light brown hair down and brushing her shoulders. _Well, damn. Happy birthday to me._

Michelle waited for some sort of reaction from House. Right now he looked stunned, for lack of a better word. Judging from his disheveled appearance, he hadn't been expecting company at all. She was so used to taking the lead with the men in her life, and House seemed like someone who needed a little extra encouragement. Maybe she had been a bit too bold this time.

She held up the bags, an amused look on her face. "I brought food, as you demanded. Do you plan on letting me in?"

House shook his head as if to clear it, finally stepping aside. "Yeah, come on in. Far be it for me to reject free food."

Michelle watched him limp toward the kitchen, noting his remarkably well-built body. The loose fit jeans fit his lean frame perfectly, and the sleeves of his t-shirt rode up a bit as he walked, the muscles in his arms flexing with each lean on his cane. She had heard about his disability from the nurses, but she didn't know the details. It certainly didn't stop her from imagining what those legs looked like. If they were anywhere near as well built as his arms…

"Beer?" House was suddenly in front of her, holding out an open beer bottle, his cobalt blue eyes boring into her.

"Thank you." Michelle quickly recovered, taking the bottle, brushing his fingers as she did so. She set the bags on the coffee table and began unpacking. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I picked up a combo. I hope that's okay."

"Fine by me. I'm not fussy." House sat down on the couch, checking Michelle out as she bent over the coffee table. Her current wardrobe choice showed off her curves far better than her scrubs did, and a million dirty thoughts raced through House's mind. "I'll go after some plates. Are there any chopsticks in there?"

"Yep. You might want to bring out some spoons for the soup, maybe something to serve this up with."

House nodded, rising to make his way to the kitchen, glad for the momentary distraction. He leaned against the kitchen island for a moment, long enough to collect his thoughts. Now that Michelle was actually here, he was at a loss as to how to handle this. Was this a date? If so, what did she expect from him?

"Doctor House? Everything okay in there?"

"Fine. I'll be right there." House grabbed a couple of plates and some silverware. If nothing else, he had the chance to spend an evening with a beautiful woman. No point in squandering it. One never knew when it might happen again.

# # #

They loaded up their plates and ate in relative silence, neither one of them quite sure how to start any conversation between them. Michelle sat cross-legged on the leather couch, while House leaned back, lifting his right leg to rest on the coffee table. She noticed that he used both hands to lift the damaged leg. The damage must have been extensive to require that sort of effort.

House finished first, placing his plate on the coffee table and shifting so he faced Michelle. She slurped up the last of her noodles, licking the bit of sauce that remained on her lips. House kind of wished he had thought of that first, but watching her do it was just as good. Michelle chuckled as she watched House's mouth twitch slightly, and she set down her plate, turning toward House.

"So…we share a birthday." Michelle stretched her arm down the back of the couch. "May I ask what year?"

House smirked. "You can…doesn't mean you'll get a straight answer. You first."

"Fine. We'll make a game out of it." Michelle looked thoughtful. "I was born the year the Beatles released their first album in America."

_No way in HELL she's that…age._ House squinted skeptically. "Dare I say it? 1962."

Michelle laughed, a low, sultry sound. "Well done, sir. That was too easy. Your turn."

House twisted his mouth, frowning as he thought of a good one for her. "Okay…Think the song 'American Pie'. That's your clue."

"Oh…a challenge. Nice." Michelle softly hummed it to herself, nodding her head in some unknown rhythm. "The day the music died…Buddy Holly plane crash…must be 1959."

House smiled softly, lighting up his rough face. "Damn, you're good. I thought for sure I'd trip you up."

"What can I say? I'm a bit of a savant when it comes to music."

"Nothing wrong with that. I guess I'm kind of the same way."

"I can tell." Michelle gestured to the guitars that hung on the wall. "Do you play, or do you just collect?"

"Both. The piano's more my thing, though. You?"

"I've been known to play a little guitar from time to time. My mom taught me a few chords, and I just took it from there."

"Cool." House stretched his arm out along the back of the couch, lightly touching Michelle's arm. "We should duet sometime."

Michelle touched his arm in return, making House jump a little. "I'd like that."

House pulled away, suddenly feeling awkward. He started closing containers as Michelle took dishes to the kitchen. When he had suggested they duet…he wasn't so sure he was talking about music. The thought mortified him a little. Sure, he openly cracked jokes about Cuddy's figure and his hookers, but that was just to get a reaction. This was different. This had the potential to be real, if he could manage to keep his foot out of his mouth.

# # #

Michelle returned as House was closing the last of the containers. He was looking vaguely uncomfortable, and she almost felt bad for him. For some reason, this was difficult for him.

"I'll take those into the kitchen. You ready for another beer?"

"Sure." House nodded as he sat back against the cushions. Michelle soon brought back two beers, handing one to House and opening one for herself. She settled in the chair near the couch, trying to give him a little space and make him a little more comfortable.

"So…what led you into medicine?"

House told her the story about the untouchable Japanese janitor, who also happened to be a brilliant doctor, solving the unsolvable. It fascinated House, and he had decided right then to become a doctor.

"What about you? Why nursing?"

Michelle's mouth quirked upward. "Oh, you damn doctors are all alike. You just assume we did nursing school because we couldn't hack med school." House rolled his eyes, but encouraged her to continue. "You could say I found my calling late in life. I didn't even start college until I was thirty. I started out as a CNA after my daughter was born, then decided I wanted more. It took me eight years, but I finally got my degree. I worked oncology, pediatrics, emergency, you name it. When I got the chance to get into Princeton Plainsboro, I jumped on it. I didn't realize it would mostly be a desk job."

House looked puzzled. "You sound almost disappointed."

"I kind of miss doing patient care. And let's face it, most of the patients that come through that clinic aren't the sharpest tools in the shed."

"No shit. You wouldn't believe some of the patients I've seen."

Their conversation segued into the wide variety of clinic patients, and Michelle swore House was exaggerating a few of them. Hours passed before they knew it, and Michelle noticed the time.

"I've got to get home. My daughter worries when I come in late."

"Well, we don't want that, do we?" House rose with Michelle, following her to the door. He wasn't sure how to end the evening. He had thoroughly enjoyed her company, and he definitely wanted to see her again.

Michelle opened the door, waiting for House to make a move. It soon became clear that she was the one who would have to send the signals. She rose on tip toe to place a small kiss on House's cheek. "Happy birthday, Doctor House."

"Greg." House managed to choke out, clearing his throat. "It's Greg. And…happy birthday to you too, Michelle." He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her firmly on the lips, resisting the urge to slip her some tongue. "Good night."

"Night."

Michelle was halfway out the main door when he called out to her. "I'd like to see you again. What are you up to this weekend?"

"Mmm…Can't think of anything right off hand." She pulled a pen and a piece of paper out of her purse. "I'm off on Friday. Give me a call if you're not busy."

House looked a little surprised. "Will do. Good night." He quickly kissed her again before she left, and he watched her as she climbed into her SUV and pulled away from the curb.

Suddenly, Friday couldn't come soon enough.

**You know what happens next. Read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**More fun and fluff. As usual, I don't own 'em. Just having fun with them.**

# # #

House strode through the lobby of PPTH the next morning, casting a glance at the clinic on his way to the elevators. Sure enough, Michelle was already there, signing in patients, that warm smile lighting her face, hair pulled back. She happened to glance through the glass doors, catching House's eye and giving him a small wave. He waved back, feeling a bit dopey, as if he were drugged up.

He heard a chuckle behind him, and turned to find Cameron standing behind him, arms folded across her chest. House dropped his head, not daring to meet her eyes.

"Let me guess. You saw that."

Cameron nodded. "Yep, sure did." She leaned in, a twinkle in her green eyes. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. By the way…did you have a nice birthday?"

House glared at her. "Don't you have car accident victims to stitch up?"

Cameron laughed at House's obvious discomfort. "It's a slow day. Gives me lots of time to catch up on the gossip. Something about you spending an extraordinary amount of time in the clinic lately?"

House huffed in annoyance and started walking away. "Only because Cuddy won't quit piling on the hours. That woman is ruthless."

"Word on the street is that you're doing your _own_ clinic hours these days. What's up with _that_, House?" Cameron's voice carried across the lobby, attracting a few titters from those passing through.

House punched the up button on the elevator, impatiently waiting for the damn thing to arrive and carry him away from Cameron and her big mouth. When word got out that he was actually doing his own clinic hours…there was no telling what sort of insanity would follow.

# # #

"House!"

House stopped when he heard that familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Wilson poking his head out of his office. _What the hell?! Did Cameron call him?!_ "Good morning, Wilson."

"You ever get that birthday present open?"

House smirked, debating whether to keep his ruse going or not. He decided on the former. "Sure did, but it took _all night_. I am _whipped_."

Wilson rolled his eyes. He should have known he wouldn't get a straight answer out of the man. "I'll see you at lunch."

"Great! Can't wait to bore you with all the details of my evening…" House continued to stride down to his office, pushing his way through the door and dropping his backpack on the floor. He noticed yet another small vase of flowers on his desk, not nearly as showy as yesterday's bouquet. This time he immediately looked for the card. Finding it tucked behind some baby's breath, he quickly ripped it open.

He grinned openly when he read it. Michelle was chasing him _hard._ It was odd, but thrilling at the same time. He was pretty sure that Stacy was the last woman to pursue him so furiously.

House pushed open the door that separated the conference room from the office. Three heads turned as one as House poked his head through.

"Any case yet?" They shook their heads. "Good. I'm headed down to the clinic. I have about…six or seven years worth to catch up on."

"Better get busy then." Taub intoned. Foreman glared at Taub while Thirteen held back a snicker. House simply ignored him as he turned out of his office and headed down the hall.

# # #

Wilson heard his office door bang open as House came thumping through, tossing him a small card before he flopped on the couch.

"Found that on my desk this morning. It was attached to more damn flowers." House's words sounded grumpy, but the small grin that crossed his face killed that impression.

"Must have been one hell of a birthday." Wilson's tone was mild to cover up his surprise.

House leaned back on the couch, a thoughtful expression on his face, bouncing his cane on the floor. Finally, he broke the silence.

"It was." House spoke quietly, lifting his eyes to meet Wilson's. "We had a great evening. Did you know she plays guitar? I told her we should duet sometime."

Wilson squinted and tilted his head. "Did you mean in the musical sense?"

House rolled his eyes. "Yes. No. Maybe. I don't fucking know." He pushed himself off the couch and headed to the door. "She's a bold one. I like it, don't get me wrong, but…"

"You have a mad stalker. Congratulations. I hear they're the hottest accessory this season."

"She's not a stalker. Don't be an idiot." He flung open the office door, pausing briefly. "Oh, and did I mention how totally _hot_ she is out of those scrubs? Just saying."

"Thanks for the visual. I so needed that."

"I know." House grinned teasingly. "See you for lunch."

"Bye, House."

House slammed the door, and Wilson was left shaking his head. He never quite knew how to decipher these sorts of conversations with House. Some of it was true, he knew that much. But which part? Wilson decided he would just have to wait and see how the whole thing played out. If Michelle was giving House some time and attention, it couldn't be a bad thing, could it?

# # #

Michelle looked up as a shadow passed over the clinic desk. "10:25. Doctor House signing in." He glanced over the desk at Michelle. "And good morning."

"Good morning to you, too." Michelle met his eyes. They really were as blue as she remembered, setting off his roughly handsome face. It seemed softer this morning, almost gentle. She handed him a patient file, and his fingers brushed hers as he took the file, sending a tiny shiver through her.

She wondered if he had received the flowers this morning. Michelle didn't even know what made her do it again. The older doctor seemed to take them well, and she enjoyed sending them. Most guys seemed to take it as a pleasant surprise, since it was such atypically female behavior.

Sarah, the other nurse working the desk that morning, nudged Michelle in the side after House left with the file. "What was all that about? You know how people like to gossip around here."

Michelle smiled smugly. "Oh, nothing. I find Doctor House kind of funny, you know?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Believe me, the whole bitching and moaning thing will stop being funny in about five minutes. He's not even that cute."

_You're kidding me, right? _"Oh, I don't know. I guess I kind of like them on the rough side." Michelle glanced at Sarah. "I'm guessing you have someone else in mind?"

Sarah barely suppressed a smile. "You know Doctor Wilson? Now _there's_ a cutie. I'm surprised no one's snapped that one up yet."

"That man's been snapped up three times. Even I know that. I hear he's a…love them and leave them kind of guy."

"What makes you say that?"

"Three marriages, three divorces. You figure it out."

Sarah looked disappointed. "If he had the right woman…"

Michelle snorted. "And I suppose you think you're the one."

"Well yeah…" Sarah grinned. "But seriously, aside from Doctor Wilson, you know who else is kind of hot?"

"Who?"

"That Doctor Chase! Oh. My. God. Every time that man opens his mouth…I melt."

Michelle smiled. "Yeah, he is pretty cute…I think Doctor Cameron feels the same way."

"I know, I know. They're a cute pair, really."

"Yes, yes. Blonde and Blonder. Freaking adorable. Next file, please." House broke into Michelle and Sarah's gossip session. "You girls going to shoot the breeze all day or actually get some work done?"

Sarah looked appalled at House's comment, but Michelle picked it up and ran with it. "It's called multitasking. I'd like to meet the doctor who can manage that."

One side of House's mouth tweaked upward in surprise. _Nice comeback. I knew I liked her for a reason._ Michelle smirked at House and handed him the next file, slapping it in his hand. House paused before moving on to the waiting area, bellowing out the next patient's name before limping heavily into an exam room.

Sarah watched House as the patient followed him into the exam room, slamming the door behind him. "This is going to sound so crazy, but…I think Doctor House…_likes_ you."

Michelle smiled slightly. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I do. Which is crazy, because he doesn't like anybody. Well, except for Doctor Wilson, and I can't even begin to explain that one."

"They do seem to have kind of a strange relationship, don't they?"

"Don't get me started. There's been a pool going about them for ten years. Nobody's managed to cash in yet. Suffice to say that whoever does…will probably be able to retire on the proceeds."

House heard Michelle laughing as he came out of the exam room. There was no telling what that damn Sarah was telling her about. She was a well known gossip and a bit of a troublemaker. House was pretty sure she was the one who started the pool about himself and Wilson.

He took a moment to scribble something in the patient file before limping over to the desk to hand it off to Michelle, signing out on the clipboard. "Make a note, girls. Doctor House signing out at 1:00."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "It's only 12:30, Doctor House."

"Potato, po-tah-to. You'll vouch for me, won't you…" He pretended to squint at Michelle's nametag, remembering what her chest had looked like in that t-shirt the night before. "…Michelle?"

"Sorry, Doctor House. 10 minutes leeway. No exceptions."

"Curses." He erased his previous time. "12:40 it is." House lumbered away from the desk, stopping to pop a couple pills before heading toward the elevators. Michelle could have sworn he was whistling 'Michelle, My Belle', but that could have been her imagination.

She opened up the file, ready to enter it into the computer system. A small note flew out and landed on the keyboard. Michelle picked it up before Sarah could notice and opened it up.

_M—_

_Don't get into the House/Wilson pool. It's a money suck. Come join me for lunch instead. See you around 1:00 in the cafeteria. Wilson's buying._

_H._

Michelle laughed softly to herself, folding up the note and sticking it in the breast pocket of her scrubs. She didn't care what Sarah thought. She liked the guy, and she would most definitely meet him for lunch.

# # #

**Push that little button and show your love. At least give me some kind of feedback. :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**You know the story. I don't own anything House related, just the O/Cs.**

# # #

House strode into the cafeteria and took a table near the entrance. He wanted to make sure he didn't miss Michelle in case she actually decided to show up.

Suddenly House caught a whiff of a distinctly feminine scent, and Michelle's face appeared in front of his. "Hello, Greg. Miss me?"

A grin slowly spread across his face. "Hey, you. Glad you could make it."

Michelle looked around. "Is Doctor Wilson going to join us?"

"Nope. I…kind of ditched him." House bent down to whisper conspiratorially. "Didn't want him to crash our little party."

"I see." Michelle laughed a little as she headed toward the line. "Might as well get going. I only have half an hour."

House heaved himself from his seat and followed her. His leg was bothering him more than usual today, for some unknown reason, but damned if he was going to let Michelle see that. He surreptitiously popped a couple of Vicodin out of her sight.

She ordered a chicken sandwich and a side salad while he ordered his usual dry Reuben and fries. When they got up to the cash register, Michelle pulled out her debit card. House gave her an annoyed look and shook his head, handing his debit card to the cashier. One could have knocked the cashier over with a feather. In all the years she had worked here, she had never known Doctor House to pay for his _own _lunch, never mind someone else's.

The pair found a booth in the corner, and soon settled into eating in silence. This whole lunch this had sounded like such a great idea half an hour ago. Suddenly, House wasn't so sure. He glanced across the table at the lovely woman in pink scrubs, the v-neck showing a bare hint of cleavage. Her hair was casually wrapped up in a loose bun, and fine tendrils had worked their way loose, brushing against her face. House wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and tuck those soft strands behind her ears.

Michelle could feel those blue eyes boring into her from across the table. She chuckled, tilting her head and meeting them with her own hazels. "You're staring again."

"Sorry." House looked a little embarrassed, and Michelle thought she saw a hint of red creep into his scruffy cheeks. She found it rather cute. He extended a hand across the table. "Hello, I'm socially awkward. Have we met?"

She reached out to touch his hand, stroking the rough palm. "No big. Early dates are always awkward, aren't they?" She snuck a fry off his plate and popped it in her mouth.

He scowled as she did so. "Hey…that's my thing. You can't do my thing." He took a cherry tomato out of her salad in retaliation, tossing it into his mouth, accidentally squirting Michelle just above the neckline of her scrub shirt. "Oops." House considered making a comment about licking it off, but restrained himself.

"No problem. Good thing it landed somewhere easy to clean." Michelle wiped her skin off with a napkin, settling in to examine House once again. "Did you get your flowers today?"

House smiled again, softening his rough, handsome features. "I did. What's the deal?"

"I don't know. You just seem like someone who hasn't gotten enough…gifts in his life." It was Michelle's turn to look embarrassed. The blush on her cheeks was quite charming, and it gave this bold woman a completely different look.

"I've got one hell of a gift sitting across from me." House spoke softly, reaching across the table to touch Michelle's hand. "I really did like the flowers. Thanks."

"My pleasure." Michelle murmured. Suddenly she checked her watch. "I've got to go. Sarah will get her panties in a bunch if I'm late."

"As entertaining as that sounds…yeah. I'm sure my team has dug up something interesting by now." House rose, taking both their trays. His path would take him right by the garbage cans. Might as well take them both. "We still on for Friday?"

"Of course. Why don't you come over for dinner? You might get a chance to meet my daughter if she doesn't have her own thing going on."

The idea made him nervous. He had never dated a woman with kids, and even though her daughter was obviously older, it was still uncharted territory. "Cool. 7:30 work for you?"

"Sounds good." Michelle took a small card and a pen out of her shirt pocket, scribbling down her address and phone number. "Call me if something comes up." She reached up to brush a small kiss impulsively on House's cheek. "See you around."

House just stood there, stunned, hand on his cheek. "See ya…"

"So this is your 'case' you blew me off for?" House winced as he heard Wilson behind him. "Why didn't you just say you had a lunch date?"

"Because then you would have hounded me and harassed me non-stop. I don't need all that."

Wilson planted his hands on his hips, an amused expression on his face. "It would serve you right after all the relationship sabotage you've pulled on me."

House had to admit, Wilson had a point. Not that he'd ever tell him that. He leaned a little closer to Wilson. "I'm seeing her again on Friday. Don't go blabbing it to everyone you meet."

Wilson's eyes crinkled as he grinned at House. "This is a good thing, right?

House rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah it is. She's got a kid, you know."

"No, can't say that I did."

"Older kid, but still. You know. It's a little weird."

Wilson nodded. He guessed it would be a little awkward. "Well…good luck?"

"Thanks. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it."

# # #

House found the small house close to the outskirts of Princeton, knocking on the door with his cane. He heard muffled female voices inside, and the door opened to reveal a taller, skinnier, and blonder version of Michelle.

"Hi, you must be Greg. I'm Shannon."

He studied her carefully. The kid was barely out of high school, if he was guessing correctly, which would mesh with Michelle's nursing school story. "Good to meet you. You must be Michelle's daughter?"

"Yep. Come on in." Shannon picked up the phone and continued her conversation, padding barefoot into the living room and flopping on the couch. Michelle appeared, wiping her hands off on a towel.

"Hey, you." She gave him a small kiss on his scruffy cheek.

"Hey, yourself." He returned the kiss, noting the mess on her t-shirt. Tonight she was barefoot, wearing a similar pair of shorts as the other night, highlighting her tanned, toned legs. They weren't particularly long, but they were shapely, along with the rest of her. "Dinner's just about done. Kick your shoes off at the door. I thought we'd eat out on the deck." She poked her head out into the living room. "Shan? Will you be eating with us tonight?"

"No, Mom. Got a date." Someone knocked at the door, and Shannon flew off the couch to answer. A young man walked in, nearly as tall as House, but skinnier. Shannon gave Michelle a quick hug before flying out the door. "Bye, Mom. Have fun."

Michelle chuckled. "You too, kiddo. Don't be late."

House was a little stunned by the activity. Shannon was a human tornado. "Wow. How do you keep up with that?"

"It's not easy, that's for sure. She's a good kid, though. She's starting college in the fall."

"Oh yeah? Where?"

"Penn State. Not too far away, really." Michelle looked a little pensive. "I'll miss her when she goes, that's for sure."

House chuckled. "My mom cried the day I left for college. Might have had something to do with the big fight my dad and I had before I left, though."

"Sorry to hear that."

_Oops._ House hadn't meant to reveal so much. "It's okay. I'm over it. What's for dinner?"

"Just a chicken and veggie pasta dish I threw together. Would you open up that bottle of wine?"

House uncorked a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and poured two glasses. He wasn't much for wine, but figured he'd play along on this one. Michelle dished up their plates, handing one to House and taking a glass of wine out to the deck, House following behind her.

Michelle noticed him fumbling a bit, finally hooking the cane over his arm and taking his food and wine outside. House caught her expression, and glared at her. "Go on. I'll be there in a minute. Just takes a little longer for me."

They settled in outside, House stretching his bad leg out before picking up his plate and digging in. The deck offered a stunning view of her backyard. A wide variety of flowers spread out, covering most of the yard, with small patches of grass here and there. "Damn. You could start your own flower shop with what you've got growing out there."

Michelle laughed. "I hate mowing grass, and I love flowers. Ergo, a big ass flower garden. It's a lot of work, but I love it."

They continued chatting easily as they ate, watching the sun set in her backyard. It was a lovely night. Crickets chirped and lightning bugs flickered as they split the bottle of wine, both of them mellowed by the food, the wine, and the easy conversation. Michelle picked up their plates and glasses, bending over to give House a nice view of her cleavage. House had brief visions of burying himself there, quickly shaking off the thought as he followed her inside.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Nope. Just loading up the dishwasher, then I was going to head out to the living room. You want to pick a movie?"

"Sounds good." House wandered out to peruse her DVDs. Many of them were older children's movies, probably dating back to when Shannon was younger. He found 'The Princess Bride' and started setting up the DVD player, settling back on the couch to wait for Michelle.

She soon joined him, seemingly pleased with House's movie choice. "Oh, this was one of Shannon's favorite movies when she was little."

House grinned. "Mine, too. I could quote pages from it."

They started to watch the movie, and House felt Michelle move closer to him. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him so that her head lay on his shoulder. House could smell whatever shampoo she used, a slightly fruity scent. He closed his eyes, forgetting about the movie as he nuzzled the top of her head.

Michelle felt House's warm breath in her hair, and she turned so she was facing him, one hand braced on the arm of the couch, the other at his side. "You know…Shannon won't be back for a few hours. We don't _have_ to watch the movie." Feeling bold, she straddled his left leg, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips.

House followed her lead, pressing forward into Michelle, slipping his tongue into her mouth, rolling it around with hers, one hand slipping to the small of her back. Finally he broke away, staring into her soft hazel eyes.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Lead the way."

# # #

**Thanks for the support so far. Now be kind and leave a little review. Feedback is my friend.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimers and what not: I don't own them, never have, never will. The O/Cs are all mine.**

# # #

Michelle lifted herself off House, taking the hand he had placed on the small of her back in her own. House pushed himself off the couch with his cane and followed where she led, leading to a small staircase.

House regarded them skeptically. "I'll meet you up there. Stairs and I don't get along so well."

"Okay." Michelle took his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his. "Don't be too long. I'll be waiting." She turned and ran up the stairs, leaving a grinning House to admire the view as she left. Come hell, high water, or flights of stairs, he was _definitely_ going to haul himself up there to get to her.

She met him at her bedroom door, leaning against the doorframe, her hair now hanging loosely around her shoulders. House hung his cane on the doorknob and bent down, hungrily capturing Michelle's lips with his own, sliding his hands under her t-shirt, feeling the curves and softness underneath.

In one quick move, Michelle closed the bedroom door, and House found himself pressed against it, Michelle giving as good as she was getting. He had the distinct feeling of catching a tiger by the tail as he felt her hands roaming under his own t-shirt.

The sensation was almost more than he could take, and House roughly pushed Michelle toward the bed, collapsing on it as the back of her knees hit the mattress. She quickly removed his shirt and threw it to the floor, deftly flipping him on his back and straddling him, taking care to avoid his bad leg.

She ran her fingers through his chest hair, enjoying the rough texture, brushing his nipples as she did so. House gasped from the unexpected sensation and pulled Michelle to him, slipping his hands up her shirt and pushing it off her body in one move.

The simple cotton bra perfectly encapsulated her soft, round breasts, and House reached up to caress them, brushing the nipples with his thumbs. Michelle arched her back, moaning softly with pleasure as House moved to the back closure, easily popping it open and letting the bra drop on him. She slipped out of it and tossed it aside to join her shirt.

Michelle leaned down over House, brushing her lips along his scruffy jaw and down his neck, leaving a soft trail down to his collarbone. She could feel him squirm beneath her as she worked her way down his chest to just above his belt buckle.

"Hmm…should I?" She lightly scratched his stomach with her fingernails, evoking another gasp of equal parts surprise and pleasure from House.

"Be a damn shame if you didn't."

"I don't know…" Michelle teased him. "Seems like we're moving kind of fast here. You sure you don't want to slow down?"

House propped himself up on his elbows, meeting Michelle's teasing look with one of his own. "Trust me. I like fast."

Michelle chuckled as she leaned over him, her lips nearly meeting his. "Better get ready, then…" She backed off, then furiously undid House's belt and jeans, taking them and his boxers off in one quick move, pressing her lips near his hipbone.

"Dammit, woman…" House roughly stroked Michelle's head as she moved to take his shaft in her hand, stroking lightly at first, then placing the tip of her tongue at the base, running it up to the tip and taking it into her mouth.

He could feel her lips and tongue working over him, bringing him ever closer to the point of no return. Suddenly she pulled away, flicking his tip with her tongue and moving back up to straddle House, pushing him into the mattress with a powerfully strong kiss.

She moved over to his ear, nipping at it before hissing, "I want you inside me."

Her bold statement further fueled House's fire, and he roughly rolled her over onto her back, forcefully kissing her as he undid her shorts and shoved a hand inside. Her desire was obvious, and she quickly removed her shorts and underwear to allow House better access.

Michelle arched her back and pressed into House's hand, demanding more of what he was giving. He stroked her harder while nipping and sucking at her neck, evoking a loud moan that turned into a soft cry the closer she got to the edge. He eased the pressure and looked her in the eye.

"Tell me what you want."

Michelle groaned impatiently. "You…inside me…_now_."

"Patience, woman. Weren't _you _the one who wanted to slow down?"

"_Greg…_"

He smirked as he brushed his tip along her center. "I don't know…maybe I shouldn't…"

House found himself on his back before he realized what was happening. Damn, she was fast. She reached into the drawer of her nightstand, ripping the foil packet open with her teeth and rolling the condom over him, shoving him inside her.

She completely caught House off guard. "_Holy_ shit…" He grabbed her ass and they rocked in a quick, steady rhythm. He exploded inside her, and she quickly followed, collapsing on top of him, her hair falling all around his shoulders.

For once in his life, House was speechless. All he could do was lay there, stunned, attempting to catch his breath as he stroked Michelle's back. Michelle finally lifted her head and lightly kissed House on the chin.

"Are you still alive?"

House chuckled. "Just barely. You damn near killed me!"

"Good." Michelle grinned and rolled off him, getting up to find her scattered clothes. "There's a wastebasket beside you."

House disposed of the condom and looked around the room. "Here's a question I don't ask very often. Where the hell are my pants?"

Michelle found them and tossed them to House, who rooted around the pockets until he came up with his Vicodin. He opened the bottle and dry swallowed two before flopping back onto the mattress.

"Come on, now. Keep moving." Michelle nudged him. "Shannon will be home soon."

"So?"

"So…I don't feel right having a man stay the night while Shannon's still around."

House frowned as he continued dressing. "I can't possibly be the first man you've dated since…well…" He didn't quite know how to put it. Had she been married to Shannon's dad? Was he a one-night stand?

"Shannon's father? No, of course not. I just never have them stay the night." Michelle's face turned serious. "I never wanted her to get attached to someone who might not stick around."

House nodded. "I guess I could see that. But Christ, she's how old now? She's not a little kid. I don't think that's an issue anymore."

"It doesn't matter what you think. My house, my rules."

"Hmph. Aren't _you_ just the bossy one?" House leaned over to where Michelle sat and grinned up at her. "I kind of like it."

Michelle laughed and gently shoved House. "Might as well get used to it. I've been a GDI for most of my adult life. I'm sure as hell not going to change now."

"GDI?"

"God Damn Independent. Old boyfriend of mine used to call me that, but I don't think he meant it as a compliment."

"Old boyfriend was an idiot." House finished dressing and kissed Michelle's cheek. "Okay, fine, I'll play by your rules, even if they're kind of dumb."

She reached out and stroked his cheek affectionately. "You don't have to go, I guess. We never did get around to watching that movie."

"As you wish…" House grinned teasingly. "Meet you downstairs."

"I'll be there."

House grabbed his cane and limped out of the room. After he left, Michelle puffed out her cheeks in frustration. This man was making her break all her rules. Ever since Shannon was small, Michelle had certain rules about dating.

First and foremost, her dates never came to her house. If they didn't come to her house, they couldn't meet Shannon, and Shannon wouldn't get attached to someone that wasn't going to hang around.

Second, her men didn't sleep over. Ever. She could count the number of times a man had been in her bed on one hand. It just didn't happen. Single parenthood was stressful enough without the added pressure of bringing a man into her household. Besides, she and Shannon had always done just fine on their own. There had been some tough times, but they had always survived, and now they were as close as any mother and daughter could be.

Soon Shannon would be leaving though, as she would constantly remind Michelle. The thought made her want to cry. It would be a little too quiet without Shannon and her friends crashing through her house all the time, screeching and giggling and gossiping and messing up her living room.

Perhaps that was why Michelle was suddenly breaking her dating rules. It would be nice to have some male companionship once Shannon left for college. Shannon constantly reminded her that Michelle should have a life, too.

She hadn't set out to pursue House. Far from it. Michelle had simply been intrigued by his decidedly undoctorly attitude about…everything. House was a rebel, no question, but there was more to it than that. He was passionate, that she could tell from every argument she could hear from Cuddy's office. Even if he didn't care about the patients as people, he clearly had a passion for the medicine, the mystery, and Michelle admired that passion. The fact that it was dressed in the guise of a tall, scruffy, blue-eyed man was just a bonus.

"Michelle! Are we going to watch this movie, or are you going to kick me out?!"

Michelle smiled once more upon hearing the bellow from downstairs. "Be right down. Don't get your shorts in a bunch."

She finished dressing and started downstairs. House was already kicked back on the couch, his bad leg resting on the coffee table. Michelle instinctively curled up to him, laying her head on his shoulder while his arm snaked around her.

This man was making her break her rules in a big way, but life was short, and as Shannon always told her, she needed to get out and 'get a life'. If this was what getting a life meant, Michelle decided that the rules would be worth breaking.

# # #

**As always, your reviews are appreciated. Push the button and tell me what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is where I insert all those disclaimers. House is the property of Fox and David Shore, not me. I just own the O/Cs.**

# # #

The front door slammed, announcing Shannon's arrival. Michelle jumped and slipped away from House when Shannon wandered into the living room and plopped down in the armchair.

"'The Princess Bride'! I _love _this movie. I practically have it memorized."

House chuckled, lifting his leg off the coffee table and shifting so that he was on the edge of the couch. "That's what I told your mom." He fixed Shannon with a slight glare. "No more rhyming now, I mean it."

Shannon grinned as she countered, "Does anybody want a peanut?"

"Really, you two." Michelle laughed softly as she rose from the couch, brushing the top of House's head as she passed through. She stopped near Shannon, ruffling her blond hair. "So, did you have fun with…what's his name again?"

Shannon rolled her eyes. "Tony. And we had a great time. We did mini-golf, then stopped for ice cream. I got to meet a couple of his friends…" She rose from the chair, continuing to prattle on about her date, the boy, how cute the boy was, how sweet he was, and other things that House couldn't quite catch as she walked away.

House felt like an outsider. Michelle and Shannon clearly had a very close relationship, and he could hear the two of them giggling in the kitchen as Shannon continued talking about her date while Michelle unloaded the dishwasher.

He limped into the kitchen, leaning heavily on his cane. Their earlier activities had taken more out of him than he thought, and he was both a bit sore and tired.

"Hey, Michelle? I think I'm going to take off."

Michelle wiped her hands off on the towel while Shannon looked on with interest. "Are you okay to ride?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. See you in the clinic."

"Hold on." Michelle hung up the towel and followed House to the door and out onto the porch, closing the door behind her. She caught him before he started down the steps, wrapping her arms around his waist and rising on tiptoe to lightly kiss him on the lips.

House responded in kind, and Michelle could feel the handle of his cane press into her backside as he firmly captured her lips, pushing his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers.

"Hey, Mom? Oh…" The front door flew open, and the two quickly broke their kiss, turning to see Shannon in the doorway. House could feel his face heat up, and could see Michelle turning a bit red, looking a little embarrassed.

"Damn. Busted again." House murmured in Michelle's ear. He released her and stepped away to start down the steps. "See you soon." He mouthed 'call me' in exaggerated fashion as he headed to his bike, mounting it and pulling on his helmet.

Michelle couldn't help but laugh at House's parting antics, and she heard Shannon snort behind her. Michelle lightly smacked her daughter in the arm before guiding her inside and closing the door.

She leaned against the closed door, arms crossed over her chest. "Okay, girl, what's so funny?"

"You!" Shannon grinned widely, still giggling. "I've _never _seen you act like that with any guy. It's kind of cute. Come to think of it, he's kind of cute…for an old guy."

"Old guy?! Greg's only a few years older than me, you know. I'm not exactly a kid myself."

"_Totally _kidding, Mom." Shannon tilted her head questioningly. "You going to see him again?"

Michelle shrugged. "Maybe. He seems like a decent enough guy. What did you think of him?"

"Don't know. I only saw him for all of five minutes…and most of that time he was attached to your face."

"Oh for God's sake…" Michelle rolled her eyes with exasperation.

"Mom! It's no big deal, really. I'm a big girl. I think I can handle the idea of you doing…stuff with men."

"Okay…I am _so_ done talking about this. This is just getting weird. I want to hear more about this Tony character."

Shannon's eyes lit up at the mention of the young man's name, and once again she launched into the details of her evening with Tony and his friends. For now, House was forgotten, and Michelle was okay with that. This thing with him was too new to share too much with her daughter, especially when there was so much she needed to sort out herself.

# # #

House's mind was still processing the evening's events as he pulled up in front of his building. Right now, he didn't quite know where he stood with Michelle, and that left him uneasy. She was definitely a unique woman, unlike anyone he had ever encountered.

_GDI…Goddamned Independent._ That old boyfriend might not have meant it as a compliment, but House didn't see any problem at all. This was a woman who had worked her way through nursing school, all while working and raising her daughter, clearly without a lot of help. Shannon seemed like one hell of a kid, and House could see why Michelle wanted to shelter her from the other part of her life.

This was the part that baffled House. A woman like Michelle should have already had a man in her life, a man other than himself. Someone solid, dependable, someone who could have been a decent father figure for Shannon. House couldn't understand why Michelle was so determined to keep men at arms' length. Keeping personal distance was more his area of expertise.

House knew he was overanalyzing things. He poured himself a glass of bourbon and sat down at his beloved piano, trying to push back the obsessive, analytical part of his brain in favor of bringing up the better parts of the evening. Dinner had been good, no doubt, and he had enjoyed just hanging out with her out on her deck, sharing the bottle of wine as the sun set. House couldn't remember ever feeling so easy and comfortable with a woman.

No wonder he had followed her so quickly into the bedroom. He grinned at the memory. Michelle was a bold one, no doubt. House liked her take-charge style, her passionate expression of her sexuality. It only added to her considerable appeal. Knowing what lay under those baggy scrubs was going to make clinic duty far more interesting from now on.

Of course, that knowledge went both ways. Michelle hadn't commented on the massive scar that took up a great deal of his right thigh, and he didn't know what to make of that. She either hadn't noticed or hadn't cared, and House couldn't decide if it really mattered. Michelle had treated the area with sensitivity, taking care not to cause any direct pain to the area throughout the evening.

House didn't know what to think. All he knew was that he wanted to see her again. If nothing else, she was great company, both in and out of the bedroom. That alone seemed to make things worth pursuing. He flipped open his phone, scrolling through the contacts until he found her number.

Her voice mail picked up, and House suddenly got nervous. A million possibilities ran through his mind as to why she wouldn't pick up her phone. Suddenly his clock chimed twice, and he chuckled at his fit of insecurity. Not everyone on the planet was a night owl, after all. It was two in the morning, and entirely possible that she was sleeping, like normal humans did.

After the beep, House left a brief message. He closed the phone and set it on top of the piano, next to his bourbon. His fingers moved over the keys while his mind wandered, playing nothing in particular as the wheels turned in his head.

House was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear his phone chime. Usually he was the one making the late night phone calls, not the one receiving them. Once he saw who was on the Caller ID, it made a lot more sense.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? It's late."

Michelle laughed on the other end. "I would, but some crazy man called and left a voice mail at two in the morning."

House snorted. "Yeah, what idiot would do that? What _are_ you doing up this late, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm sort of a weekend night owl. I'm a morning person by circumstance, not by choice."

"Right. So, about my message…what do you say? You up for a ride tomorrow?"

There was a long pause on the other end, and for a moment House thought Michelle had hung up. She finally sighed and answered. "I wish I could, but my day is _packed_. Can I take a rain check?"

House was oddly disappointed at Michelle's response. "Sure. Maybe we can work it in next weekend."

"Okay." Once again, there was silence. "See you in the clinic?"

"As long as I don't have a case, you know I'm there."

They said good night and hung up. House twirled the phone in his hand, surprised by Michelle's answer. Not that he had expected her to drop everything to hang out with him, but still, it seemed odd. Just as well, he supposed. He didn't want to rush into anything anyway. If they kept things casual, neither one of them would get hurt.

Michelle cursed herself for lying to House. She wasn't _that_ busy tomorrow. She just didn't want to devote her entire weekend to hanging out with House. Tonight had been fun, a _lot_ of fun. Michelle wanted to be sure to keep it that way, that was all. She had already broken too many of her own rules. If she didn't start setting some limits, there was no telling what might happen. There was no way in hell she would set herself up for another monstrous heartbreak. If she didn't invest so much time and attention, there was no way either of them would get hurt. It seemed like the perfect solution, didn't it?

# # #

**I don't need to tell you what to do from here. Read and review. Thanks. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own the House kids. Never have, never will. All the O/Cs belong to me.**

# # #

When Michelle arrived at the clinic desk Monday morning, Sarah was already there, a silly grin on her face. Soon Michelle saw why.

"_Someone _sent you flowers this morning."

Michelle sighed a little heavily. She had some idea who sent them, and she almost dreaded opening the card. If she had known how quickly things would progress, she never would have pursued House so hard in the first place.

_Michelle—_

_Had a blast this weekend. Thanks._

_G. H._

Okay, so it wasn't what she feared it would be. Maybe she and House were on the same page. She just didn't need another obsessive sort of guy in her life, that was all. Michelle smiled, inhaling the slightly spicy scent of the carnations. They reminded her of House's own unique scent, conjuring up memories of the weekend.

Damn, she definitely didn't need that kind of distraction today. The clinic was already filling up as people who had waited all weekend to deal with their illnesses piled in. A shadow loomed over the desk, and Michelle looked up.

It was only Doctor Foreman, one of House's team members. Michelle was surprised, and even a little disappointed that it wasn't House.

"Good morning, Doctor Foreman. No case today?"

Foreman cast a glance at Michelle, arching an eyebrow. "Nope, and House is in a worse mood than usual. Figured I'd come down here and kill two birds with one stone."

_Damn._ Michelle hoped her answer late Friday night didn't have anything to do with House's mood today. Foreman signed in and took the first file, taking his patient into an exam room.

# # #

House sat in his office chair, twirling his cane in his long fingers, brooding over Michelle's response late Friday night. He didn't know if it constituted a rejection or not. Hell, he didn't even know if he should be bothered or not. House definitely liked the woman, and definitely wanted to see her again. If she was putting him off, though…he didn't know what to think.

Foreman had poked his head into House's office, breaking into his reverie. "Got a case yet?"

House rolled his eyes. "Do you see a file anywhere? No, we don't have a case. Have fun in the clinic."

Foreman arched an eyebrow. "Are you coming down? Your girl's probably at the desk by now."

"She's not my girl. Mind your own damned business and do your own damned clinic hours." House scowled. If she didn't want to see him, he damn sure wasn't going to make his presence known. He was already feeling foolish enough about the flowers he had sent. She hadn't responded, not that he really expected her to.

House huffed in irritation and pushed himself out of his chair. He hadn't gone to see Wilson yet this morning. Maybe he could help him sort this insanity out before he made an unnecessary visit to the clinic.

Wilson heard his office door bang open, and looked up to see House step-thump in. Fortunately, Wilson didn't have any appointments, not that it ever mattered to House.

He continued working at his paperwork, knowing that House would eventually reveal the reason for his invasion. House huffed in annoyance, scowling as he tapped his cane on the floor.

"Let's say, theoretically, I had this totally hot weekend with this woman." House finally began.

"Okay…you had this totally hot weekend with this woman." Wilson patiently repeated. "I assume there's more to this story."

"Yes." House glared. "Stop mocking me."

Wilson gestured for House to continue. "So sorry. As you were."

House rose from the couch and paced around the office. "Okay…where was I?"

"Hot weekend."

"Right, hot weekend. So…let's say I might have called her later on…I might have tried to hook up again for the next night…and she turned me down."

Wilson squinted slightly, feeling a little confused. "Just what are you trying to figure out here?"

"Jesus, are you that dense?" House scowled in frustration. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing here. She chases me, I let her catch me. I chase her, she runs like hell."

"Wow, you've met someone as commitment-phobic as you. I didn't think that was possible."

"The thing is…I really like her." House sat down again, his face thoughtful. "She's tough, independent, gorgeous as hell…"

Wilson rolled his eyes. Sometimes House could be ridiculously dense. "Slow down. Just…slow down. She's obviously as scared as you are."

House nodded. "Right, of course." He rose from the couch. "See ya."

As quickly as he entered, House was gone. Wilson returned to his paperwork, going over the very strange exchange he had with House. House obviously liked the woman, but Wilson hoped his friend wouldn't do anything too foolish in pursuit of her.

# # #

House stepped off the elevator leading to the lobby. He could see Michelle hard at work, handing off files to various doctors as they worked the busy clinic. Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the door of the clinic, running into Foreman on the way.

Foreman arched an eyebrow at him as he passed. "Could really use you this morning. The place is packed."

"Yeah, I see that." House played with his cane, still standing near the entrance. He finally moved toward the desk, finding the clipboard and signing in.

Michelle glanced up, startled at House's appearance. "Morning."

"Morning. The joint's really jumping this morning, isn't it?"

"No kidding. It's been non-stop since we opened."

House gestured for a file. "Might as well get started."

Michelle handed him a file, and she felt House's fingers brush against hers as he took the file from her hand. He leaned over the desk, nodding toward the flowers. "Nice flowers."

"House! Are you going to see some patients, or are you going to flirt all day?!" Cuddy's voice carried across the clinic before Michelle could answer.

"I can tell you which one I'd prefer…" House took the file and limped toward the waiting room. "Reynolds?! Follow me."

Michelle watched him go, still trying to read his mood. He didn't seem as upset as Foreman made him out to be. Maybe she'd try to catch him for lunch. She really did want to see him again. She just wasn't sure she wanted anything serious from him. Surely he would understand.

# # #

House's leg was screaming at him by the time things slowed down that afternoon. He popped a couple of Vicodin and limped over to the desk, glancing at Michelle.

"Doctor House signing out at 1:30." He leaned over the desk while Sarah had her back turned. "You free for lunch?"

Michelle smiled a little. "I can be. I've been wanting to talk to you anyway."

That didn't sound so good to House. "Okay…I'll meet you up in the cafeteria."

"No need. I'll just be a minute." She turned to Sarah. "Hey, I'm taking lunch. Back in 30, okay?"

Sarah waved Michelle away. "Fine. See you soon."

Michelle grabbed her purse and fell into step with House, following him onto the elevator. They stood side by side, riding upstairs to the elevator in silence. Michelle snuck a glance at House, noticing the tilt of his chin as he tapped his cane on the floor, his eyes darting everywhere as if he were trying to avoid looking at her.

She finally broke the silence, reaching out to touch his hand, hoping to stop the incessant tapping. It seemed to work, and he finally looked her way.

"Thank you for the flowers. How did you know I liked carnations?"

House shrugged. "Took a wild guess. Too much?"

"No, not at all."

They stepped off the elevator, making their way to the cafeteria. After picking their respective lunches, they found a quiet booth far away from everyone and everything.

House drummed his fingers on the table, suddenly feeling nervous. Didn't Michelle say she had to talk to him? He kind of wished she would just get it over with so he could go lick his wounds in peace.

Michelle paused, looking across the table at House. He seemed tense, and she realized that she had left him hanging earlier. She reached across the table, touching the hand that drummed the table.

"Relax, will you?"

House chuckled, the smile softening his rough features. "Usually when a woman wants to talk…it's not good news. Even I know that."

Michelle took a deep breath, smiling as House seemed to relax. He really was a handsome man, and she did enjoy spending time with him. "Look…about the other night…I didn't mean to shut you down. I'm just not used to spending so much time with a guy." She leaned across the table, looking House squarely in the eye. "I like you, probably more than I should. I want to keep hanging out with you. I'm just…not into anything too serious just yet."

House exhaled loudly. "Well…that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Why the hell didn't you just say so?" He leaned back against the seat of the booth. "Hell, I like you too, obviously. It doesn't have to be anything serious. I mean, we just met, right?"

"Right." Michelle felt a lot better after talking things out. "I've got to get back. Call you later?"

"Sure. We still on for a ride this weekend?"

"Of course. I'll even bring my own helmet."

A full grin crossed House's face. "Cool." He resisted the urge to plant a kiss on her and instead settled for taking care of her tray for her. "You'd better get going. Wouldn't want Sarah to get all in a snit."

"Definitely not. She gets cranky when she doesn't get her lunch on time." Michelle stretched up on tiptoe to press a small kiss to House's cheek. "Talk to you later."

House stood there for the longest time, stunned by the public display of affection. He heard Foreman chuckling behind him, and he could feel the heat rise to his face.

"Hey, Loverboy." Foreman slapped a file in House's hand. "Ran across something in the clinic that looked kind of interesting. Thought we could go over it…if you aren't busy."

"Yeah…page the team and have them meet us in the conference room. I'm on my way."

Foreman walked away, snickering at the expression on House's face. If he hadn't walked right up on House and that clinic nurse, he never would have believed it. It appeared House _did_ have a little something going on. Foreman just hoped that their time together would make House a little easier to work with. Miracles could happen, after all.

# # #

**Thanks for all the reviews and stuff. I can always stand a few more, though. Push the button and let me know what you think.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Been a while since I've updated this one. Sorry for the delay. Once again, I don't own anything but the O/Cs.**

# # #

Michelle didn't see House for the rest of the week. Since she didn't see any of his team members either, she simply assumed that he had a case that was keeping him away from the clinic. When she heard him loudly arguing with Cuddy over a course of treatment, she knew for sure he had one, and it sounded like a doozy.

House came stomping through the clinic, briefly catching Michelle's eye on the way through. She sent a small wave and a smile his way, and his face seemed to soften in response. He paused, turning back toward the clinic desk and leaning over.

"Still up for a ride this weekend?"

Michelle looked a little baffled. "I figured you'd still be up to your eyeballs in work."

House shrugged. "That's why I have the minions. They can call me if they get totally stuck."

"Right." Michelle was still skeptical. "I've got things going on Saturday morning, but I'll be around in the afternoon if you're free."

"Then…I guess I'll see you then." House limped away, a little slower than when he had first stormed through the clinic.

Michelle busied herself with paperwork, lightly fingering the carnations that still graced her work space. They were on the edge of dying, but she couldn't quite bring herself to get rid of them. She jumped when she felt a smack on the arm.

"You're…_dating_ him?!" Sarah was wide-eyed with shock. "How the hell can you _stand_ him?!"

Michelle's lips quirked upward. "Told you I liked them a little on the rough side."

"Doctor House isn't just rough. He's an ass."

"It's a front…mostly. He's actually quite interesting."

Wilson strode up to the clinic desk, handing his patient's file to Sarah with a small, polite smile. Sarah greeted him with a wide, warm smile of her own. "Good afternoon, Doctor Wilson. How are you?"

He squinted slightly and gave her a sideways glance. "Fine…thank you. Have you seen Doctor House?"

Sarah looked a little disappointed as Michelle piped up, "Toward the elevators. He just got done 'talking' to Doctor Cuddy about something."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. I'd better go hunt him down. Thank you."

The two nurses watched the oncologist stride away with great purpose, and Michelle heard Sarah sigh. Michelle couldn't help but chuckle at her.

"You're acting like my daughter when she moons over a boy. Which is fine for her, since she's only seventeen."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Whatever. At least I'm not dating a drug addict."

"Don't be hostile. It's not my fault Doctor Wilson didn't fall for your charms." Michelle rose and started shutting down her workstation. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Sarah watched Michelle gather up her things and head toward the elevator. _Probably going to see that bastard Doctor House._ Wait until word spread that those two were dating. It would be the shot heard 'round PPTH.

# # #

House was sitting at his desk poring over a medical journal when he heard a gentle tapping on his office door. He smiled and waved her in.

"If you're going home, you're going the wrong way."

Michelle shrugged. "Thought I'd check in before I left."

House regarded her skeptically. "That sounds like…something someone would do if they were serious about someone else."

"Make of it what you want. Anyway." Michelle stepped toward House's desk. "Sarah's got the hots for Doctor Wilson. We should hook them up."

House sat back in his chair and pondered the possibility. "She does have that sort of…needy vibe about her. Wilson eats needy for breakfast."

"She likes Doctor Wilson, therefore she's needy. That's some strange logic, even for you."

House puffed out his cheeks. "Look, Wilson hasn't dated anyone since…"

"I know." Michelle spoke quickly. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. I'll just keep watching her pine after him from afar."

"Fine, I'll talk to him. Don't count on anything, though."

"Good. I'll see you around."

House tilted his head as he watched Michelle walk away. Even in scrubs she cut a stunning figure. He had visions of her wrapped around him on the back of his bike, flying down the road, leaning into the curves…of the road. He pushed himself out of his chair, catching her before she left his office.

"So…" Michelle turned at the sound of his voice, meeting his bright blue eyes with her soft hazel ones. House reached out and placed a hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him. "Haven't changed your mind about Saturday, have you?"

Michelle smiled softly, reaching up to caress House's scruffy cheek. "Of course not. I'm looking forward to it. Haven't been on a bike in years."

"No problem. I'll give you a refresher course." House leaned down to place a soft kiss on Michelle's cheek, moving toward her ear. "Could give you one tonight."

"No helmet. Sorry." Michelle moved her hand down House's jaw to lightly grip the side of his neck. She heard House's breath catch slightly. "See you Saturday."

"See you then." House felt a little stunned as Michelle turned away and walked out of his office, nodding to Wilson as he passed her in the opposite direction.

"What was that about?" Wilson's eyes were wide as he strode into House's office. "You're still seeing her?"

House rolled his eyes and returned to his office chair, sighing heavily. "I guess I am. Supposed to go riding Saturday." He started thumbing through the medical journal, glancing back at Wilson. "Go ask out that other nurse, the one that works with Michelle."

Wilson looked puzzled. "Uh, why?"

House immediately affected the manners of a junior high school girl. "Because, like, Michelle says that Sarah says that she is, like, _totally _hawt for you." He leaned back in his office chair, glaring at Wilson. "That, and you haven't had a date since the second Bush administration."

"That hasn't really been that long, House. Nice try."

"Long enough. If you go much longer you'll settle for anything. I hear the transsexual nurse is still looking for a date for the prom."

"Good night, House. Try spending a little more time not killing your patient and a little less time obsessing over my personal life."

"You've got to have a personal life before I can obsess over it!" House hollered after Wilson as he left the office. Wilson merely shook his head and turned toward the elevators.

House chuckled to himself and returned to his medical journal, popping a couple of Vicodin and kicking his feet up onto the desk. He'd done his good deed for the month, and now had nothing more to look forward to than getting his patient treated and out of here in time for his…date? No, it wasn't a date. Michelle had made it clear that she wasn't into anything serious. It was just a ride, just some fun, nothing more. It'd be nice if that fun carried over into the bedroom, but…well, he'd just wait and see how the day went.

# # #

House showed up at Michelle's door Saturday afternoon, helmet in hand. He didn't know why the hell he felt so nervous all of a sudden. There was just something about this woman that rattled House.

The door flew open before he could even raise his cane to knock on the door. Once again, Shannon greeted him.

"Hey, Doctor House. Come on in. Mom should be ready in a minute."

House nodded and rocked on his heels in the entryway, his nerves feeding his impatience. Or maybe it was the other way around. Finally she appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed casually in a slim gray t-shirt, boot cut jeans, and thick-soled shoes. She trotted easily down the stairs, putting her hair up in a ponytail along the way.

"Hey, you." Michelle placed a brief kiss on House's cheek. "Let me grab my jacket and helmet. I'll be right back."

Michelle went through her closet, taking her old motorcycle jacket off the hanger and her helmet off the shelf. She wasn't kidding when she told House it had been a long time since her last ride. In reality, the last time she had ridden was before she was pregnant with Shannon. She sighed a little at the memory, one of the few good memories she had of her time with Shannon's father.

"What are you doing, mining for gold?" House's voice snapped Michelle out of her reverie. "I want a cut of the proceeds if you find something."

"Just took a little time to find what I needed, that's all." Michelle put on the jacket and zipped it up, relieved that it still fit. She poked her head into the living room, where Shannon was lounging on the couch. "I'm out of here. I'm not sure when I'll be home, but there are leftovers in the fridge, and I'll call to check in from time to time."

"Okay, have fun, Mom." Shannon sat up to give House a pointed look. "Take good care of my mom, Doctor House."

"I'll…do my best. See you later."

House climbed on to the bike, with Michelle climbing on behind, barely balancing on the sport bike's seat.

"Are you okay back there?"

"So far, so good. It's just going to take a little getting used to." Michelle pulled her helmet over her head, buckling it under her chin. She leaned into House, wrapping her arms around his chest, patting it lightly.

House fired up the bike and started down the street, the speed taking Michelle slightly by surprise. It was a little scary, but once she got settled in, it was exhilarating. This was the thrill she remembered from all those years ago.

She clung to House as he piloted the bike through Princeton, heading for the back roads, going God-knew-where. House hadn't given her any sort of plan for the day, which was kind of scary and oddly thrilling at the same time.

After about an hour, House pulled into a gas station and parked, taking off his helmet and scrubbing over the top of his head. His hair stuck up in every direction, and Michelle chuckled at the sight as she took off her own helmet.

"We'll be making a lot of stops today. My leg can't handle a lot of continuous riding." House rubbed his leg as Michelle climbed off the bike.

"No problem. Do you want anything?"

"Coke would be good."

"I'll be back."

The minute Michelle turned her back, House dug into his jacket pocket for his Vicodin bottle, throwing back two and dry-swallowing them. His leg was hurting a lot more than he wanted to let on, almost enough for him to cancel the ride for today. His desire to see Michelle overrode his common sense, and he was almost regretting it right now.

As soon as Michelle came back with their drinks, his regret dissipated. She handed him the Coke bottle, and he took a few sips before capping it and sticking it in the small storage area under the seat. She did the same, tossing her bottle casually in with his.

"Ready to hit the road again?" House started to pull his helmet over his head.

"I'm ready. Are you sure you are?" Michelle had noticed House rubbing his leg after he had taken what she assumed were his pain meds as she was waiting to pay for their drinks.

"I'll be fine. It's not that far to our next stop, anyway."

"Care to clue me in?"

House grinned as he buckled his helmet under his chin. "Nope. You'll just have to be surprised."

Michelle pulled on her helmet, buckling it and pulling the visor over her eyes. She was curious what was next for them on their little adventure today. It was turning out to be a lot of fun, and she couldn't remember the last time she felt so spontaneous and free.

She climbed back on the bike behind House, inhaling the scent of House's leather jacket blended with his own slightly spicy scent. It was enticing, and Michelle kind of looked forward to the possibility of spending time with House after the ride was over. It wasn't as if either one of them had anywhere to be, after all.

# # #

**This is where you come in. Read, review, and I'll keep writing. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**This is where I put in the usual disclaimers about how I don't own them. But you already know that. :) There is some mild smut in here...forewarned is forearmed.**

# # #

Their next stop turned out to be a small, out of the way diner off one of the many back roads they had traveled that afternoon. Michelle dismounted and removed her helmet as House whipped off his helmet and immediately went digging for his Vicodin bottle.

Michelle looked a little concerned, and House waved her away. "It's fine. I just rode a little longer than usual, that's all. Go find us a seat, I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay." Michelle nodded. "I should call Shannon anyway."

House took his meds and watched Michelle stroll into the diner. Before too long, he knew they would have to turn around and head back to Princeton. House wanted to find a way to make the ride last just a little longer, despite the pain it was causing him.

Everything about this ride today was as he hoped it would be. Michelle's petite body wrapped around him, her understated floral scent that wafted by as she climbed on, even that little squeal of equal parts fear and excitement that she had emitted as they took off from her house…it was a special kind of thrill.

As much as he wanted to ride on today, his leg definitely had other ideas. House briefly massaged his thigh and slowly dismounted the bike. He could see Michelle already inside, seated in a booth, chatting animatedly on her phone. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and gestured with those delicate hands.

House smiled to himself and pushed through the door of the diner, and he could hear Michelle's end of the conversation.

"…No, I don't know how much longer we'll be out…I'm not sure where we are, actually." Michelle laughed at whatever her daughter said. "Don't worry, we're having a good time…maybe…we'll have to see. Okay, I've got to go, he just came in. Love you."

Michelle closed her phone as House slid into the booth. "Hey, everything okay?"

"Fine." House settled himself into the seat across from Michelle. "How's the kid? Has she burned down the house yet?"

Michelle laughed softly. "No, not yet. She was very…interested in our little road trip, though."

House's lips twisted in a half smile, his blue eyes crinkling in amusement. "Well…tell your little keeper that I'm behaving myself…for now." He reached across the table, tracing a pattern along the back of Michelle's hand with one long finger. "I can't be held responsible for what might happen later."

The waitress showed up before Michelle could answer, taking their food and drink orders before disappearing. Michelle turned over her hand, gently drawing her fingers along House's palm.

House found the gesture oddly sexy, and he quickly captured Michelle's fingers with his own, running over her closed fingers with his thumb. It reminded him of all those times they had passed files to each other in the clinic, brushing their fingers against each other, subtly flirting with each other.

Across the table, Michelle was having similar thoughts. She met House's intense gaze, feeling both enticed and unnerved by its intensity. The idea that House's touch and look had so much power over her was a little scary, to say the least.

She was so caught up in his eyes that she barely noticed House raise her hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss in her palm. Her hazel eyes went wide, and a short gasp escaped her lips. House had caught her off guard, and a small smile curled his lips at her reaction.

"Gotcha."

Michelle chuckled softly. This man that sat across from her, the one everyone else seemed to consider such an ass…he was definitely keeping her on her toes. It was intriguing, and only served to draw her to him more. Suddenly she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep House at arm's length, or if she even wanted to anymore.

But that would be a question that could wait for an answer as their food was set in front of them. They enjoyed their meal in relative silence, occasionally breaking into relaxed chat in between bites.

Finally House tossed cash on the table to cover their bill and a generous tip, and they prepared to leave. Michelle decided to make one more call before they hit the road while House walked around outside, working out what stiffness remained after sitting in the booth for so long.

"Hello?" Shannon's perky voice answered.

"Hey, girlie." Michelle spoke warmly. "Just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way. We're probably a couple hours away, so you have time to chase all your little party friends out before I get there."

"Mom, really!" Michelle swore she could hear Shannon roll her eyes all the way from Princeton. "It's just me here, I swear."

"I know, kid. At any rate…" Michelle saw House limp over to the bike, pulling his helmet over his head. "Looks like Greg and I are hitting the road. See you soon."

"Is he going to hang out when you get home?"

"I don't know yet. We'll see how it goes."

"I'm just saying…if he did…that'd be cool. He seems like an okay guy."

Michelle laughed. "Good to know that you approve. I'm sure that will make all the difference. See you when I get home. Love you."

"Bye, Mom. Love you too."

Michelle shook her head as she closed the phone and pocketed it. That kid was going to be the death of her. If Michelle didn't know better, she'd say Shannon was…encouraging this thing between herself and House. It was just the sort of thing a romantic, idealistic young girl would do, and Michelle was anything but.

House was starting the bike as Michelle pulled on her helmet and climbed on behind. She buckled it under her chin, flipping down the visor and wrapping herself around House, patting his chest to indicate her readiness.

House grinned beneath his visor, revving up the bike and taking off, sending gravel flying. He heard that girlish squeal behind him that melted into a soft laugh. Right then, there was no sweeter sound in the world. It would do until they got back to Princeton. House was still hoping to evoke other sounds from her as the night wore on, but…that wasn't entirely up to him, he knew that. Still…the possibility hung in the air. He'd just have to play it by ear.

# # #

After a couple of stops, House pulled into Michelle's driveway just as twilight started to creep across the sky. Michelle dismounted and removed her helmet, undoing the ponytail and shaking her hair loose.

House flipped up his visor, admiring Michelle's actions. He removed his own helmet and slowly lifted his leg over the saddle of the bike, leaning against it, watching Michelle, trying to read her cues. She wasn't giving him anything, and he found that interesting. Michelle was even more closely guarded than he was. It was a rare thing.

Michelle could feel House's eyes on her, as if he were waiting for her to make a move. She turned to him, standing in front of him with her helmet in her hand.

"I had a great time today, Greg." Michelle spoke softly as she stepped closer to House. "Thank you."

"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine." House's voice was equally soft as he tentatively reached out to place a hand on her waist, drawing her closer still. "I don't have passengers very often…actually, I always ride solo." House frowned as he considered this. "Huh. Anyway…"

Michelle set her helmet on the seat and wrapped her arms around House's waist. "I'd ride with you anytime. Maybe I'll even get my own bike."

House's eyes seemed to light up at the idea. "I thought only guys had mid-life crises. Didn't know women did, too. Not that I'm objecting."

Michelle laughed as she pressed her body against House's. "It's not a mid-life crisis. Maybe it's just finally my turn to do something for myself." She reached up to plant a soft kiss on House's lips.

House pulled Michelle in, spreading his legs slightly so that she was fully pressed against him, deepening the kiss. Their tongues tangled, and House could feel Michelle reach up to unzip his jacket. He responded in kind, hands roaming under shirts, setting each other on fire with their touch.

"Told you I wouldn't be responsible for what happened next." House's voice was rough with desire as he moved from Michelle's lips to her neck, taking in her soft scent. The scent of her perfume combined with the scent of her leather jacket was intoxicating, spurring House on to greater heights.

Michelle gasped when she felt House's lips and tongue working their way down her neck, his rough hands on the small of her back. She was losing control of this situation in a hurry, and for once she didn't give a damn.

She slipped one hand out from under House's shirt, caressing the back of his neck while continuing to feel the strong muscles of his back. He growled under her touch, roughly nipping at her neck, making his way up to her ear.

"You going to let me in?" House's breath was warm and ragged as he wrapped one hand around the nape of her neck, the other at her waist, caressing with his thumb.

Michelle nodded, pulling away and reaching for her helmet. House pushed himself off the bike, following her up the front steps, leaning against her as she quietly tested the doorknob. Finding it locked, she found her keys, fumbling as House continued to lightly kiss the back of her neck, his hand once again slipping under her shirt to rest on her waist.

Finally, she got the door open, both of them stumbling through the doorway. House picked up where he left off, assaulting Michelle's lips with such force she thought he might leave bruises. He slipped off her jacket, letting it hit the floor, furiously wrangling off his own to join hers.

She managed to guide them to the couch in the living room, breaking apart just long enough to kick off shoes before she lay down, pulling House down on top of her, her hands roaming under his shirt once again.

House impatiently whipped his t-shirt over his head, exposing muscular arms and shoulders. Michelle let her hands smooth over his back, evoking a ragged intake of breath from House as he moved further down Michelle's body, pushing up her t-shirt to leave kisses all over her soft stomach, his fingers fumbling to unbutton her jeans.

Michelle moaned softly, spreading her legs to allow House further access. He shifted to the floor, wincing slightly as he dropped to his knees beside her, one hand stroking her belly while the other made its way inside her jeans, feeling the extent of her desire for him.

House moved his hand to stroke Michelle's soft hair, pressing his lips to hers once again, slowly rolling his tongue inside her mouth before breaking away to brush his lips against her ear.

"Tell me what you want." He roughly whispered to Michelle, still stroking her inside her jeans.

"More…more…" Michelle arched her back, shoving her jeans further off her body.

"Like…this?" House plunged one long finger inside her, making Michelle cry out softly with pleasure and surprise. "Or maybe…this…" He lightly stroked her with his thumb, and she squirmed underneath his touch.

Michelle grabbed the back of House's neck, pulling him to her. "Just…don't…stop…"

House grinned wolfishly, brushing his lips down her neck, his other hand pushing up her t-shirt, revealing a soft pink lace trimmed bra capturing the soft flesh of her breasts. He placed his mouth over one nipple, his warm breath bringing it to hardness before his tongue flicked it, causing Michelle to buck upwards.

He could feel her throbbing around his finger, and he knew she was close to orgasm. Wanting to prolong her pleasure, he removed his hand and placed it on her other breast, playing with the nipple beneath the thin material, making it as hard as the other.

Michelle's eyes fluttered open at the sensation, and she stroked the top of House's head as he kissed her softly between her breasts before popping open the front closure, exposing her creamy softness. House started to work his way down, his mouth and hands setting Michelle on fire.

"Mom? Is that you?"

Michelle's eyes flew open, immediately snapping to attention at the sound of her daughter's voice. She tapped House on the head. "Greg…stop!"

House lifted his head, seeing Shannon's shadow on the wall of the staircase. "Uh…I think we're busted."

"Hold on." Michelle whispered, caressing the top of House's head. "Yes, it's me. Greg and I were just going to watch a movie…or…something…_will you stop!_"

"Uh…okay." Shannon was sure there was more to the story, but quite frankly, she didn't want to know. Not that she wasn't cool with her mom dating Doctor House, but…she didn't care to think of them _that way_. "I'm gonna go back upstairs."

"Okay, love you." Michelle tried to push House's head away from her breasts, hearing House's muffled snicker.

Shannon shook her head, returning to her phone call and running up the stairs, chatting all the way. Michelle waited for her daughter's bedroom door to close, finally exhaling.

"That was close. Feels like high school all over again." House picked up where he left off, caressing the soft curves of her breasts, capturing a nipple and lightly nipping at it, one hand stroking her stomach, making his way down to her exposed center.

Michelle sighed, feeling conflicted. House's hands and mouth worked magic over her body, but she didn't want to risk getting busted by her child again.

House seemed to sense Michelle's discomfort, and he pushed himself off the floor, sitting on her coffee table to look at her. She was disheveled, her eyes still hooded with desire, even as she looked troubled.

"So…" House glanced around the room. "Now what?"

Michelle slowly pulled her jeans back on, then sat up to redo her bra, tugging down her t-shirt. "I don't know. This…this isn't turning out anything like I thought it would."

House bent down and picked up his t-shirt, pulling it over his head. "Look…maybe I should go…"

"That's just it. I don't want you to go." Michelle sat down on the coffee table next to House, wrapping an arm around his waist. "God, this is awkward."

"You're telling me." House placed an arm around Michelle's shoulder, kissing her temple. He released her and bent down to pick up his shoes, wiggling into them and tying them.

He rose, gently kissing her on the forehead. "I had a great day with you, even if…it didn't go like we thought it would. See you Monday."

"I'll walk you out." Michelle rose to follow House to her front door.

He picked up his jacket from the floor in front of the door, his lips quirking upward with amusement. Surely Shannon wouldn't have missed that clue. House put it on, stopping as he put his hand on the doorknob.

House turned to Michelle, wrapping a hand around the nape of her neck to pull her to him in a long, slow kiss before finally releasing her.

"Come back to my place with me."

"What, right now?" Michelle looked at House incredulously. "Are you kidding?"

A dark cloud seemed to pass over House's face. "Never mind. Forget I asked." He turned away, flinging the front door open and quickly limping away.

"Wait a damn minute!" Michelle hurried to follow him, catching House just before he went down the steps. She stood on the step above him, looking directly into his eyes. "Don't ever think for one minute that I don't want you. It's just…dating when you have kids, it's…different. I just need to plan things out, that's all." She reached out to touch his rough face. "I'm not rejecting you, not at all."

"Fine." House's face was unreadable as he reached up to take Michelle's hand off his face, squeezing it lightly. "I'll call you." He kissed her hand before letting it go, turning to limp down the steps to his bike.

Michelle watched House as he tugged on his helmet and started the bike, giving her a quick wave as he roared off into the night. Something had to give, she thought to herself. Suddenly she was tired of denying herself the pleasure that House was so willing to give her. It was definitely time for a new plan. Michelle just wished like hell she knew what that plan was.

# # #

**Okay, feed my pathetic ego. Push the green button and review me. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Another chapter, another smut alert. Don't like, don't read. Once again, I don't own anything related to House.**

# # #

Michelle was out working in her flower garden the next morning, still trying to process the events of the night before. She wondered how things would have played out if Shannon hadn't interrupted she and House. Well…she had _some _idea. Her lips quirked upward as she cut a few flowers for her dining room table, inhaling their glorious scent.

She hadn't heard from House yet, but it was fairly early, and she didn't really expect to. That didn't stop her from occasionally checking her phone for missed calls. Michelle chuckled to herself, amused at her behavior. She wasn't a high school girl, for crying out loud. She was a middle-aged woman with a teenaged daughter, settled and content with her professional life.

Her personal life, on the other hand…she had definitely let that slide over the years. The short time she had spent with House reminded her just how much she missed having someone in her life. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to make things work with House.

The chiming of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Sunshine." House's sleepy voice carried over the phone. "Sleep okay?"

"I suppose. You?"

"Mmm…Not so much. Kind of missed you." The words tumbled out of House's mouth before he could stop them.

Michelle's lips curved upward. She was pleasantly surprised by House's sudden admission. "I…kind of missed you, too. What are you doing today?"

"Nothing I couldn't move around, I guess." House smiled to himself, relieved that Michelle hadn't rejected him outright after all. "Did you have…something in mind?"

"Well…Shannon's heading to the beach this afternoon with some friends. Maybe…we could pick up where we left off."

House twisted his mouth thoughtfully. "Hmm…You realized you'd be hanging out with me for two days in a row. Sounds serious."

Michelle rolled her eyes on the other end of the phone. "So I like spending time with you. Is that so wrong?"

"No, especially when the possibility for hot sex is involved." House chuckled. "Let me know when it's safe to show up."

"You're welcome anytime here." Michelle blurted out without thinking. "I mean…I don't know what I mean."

"It's cool. Don't worry about it. You like me, I like you, and…maybe we're just stumbling around, trying to figure out what the hell we want." House leaned back against the headboard of his bed, looking up at the ceiling.

Michelle sank down on one of the garden benches. "Yeah, I guess that's it. Anyway…I'll see you whenever you manage to get over here. I'll probably be in the garden."

"Sounds good. See you later." House quickly hung up before Michelle could respond.

She closed her phone, twirling it around in her hand. What was she thinking, giving House an open invitation to her house? Yes, she liked him, but did she like him enough to have him around…whenever? Talk about a leap into the great unknown. She wasn't just breaking some rules, she was practically tossing out the entire rulebook when it came to House. Clearly there was a shift happening. She just wasn't sure where this shift would take her…and House.

# # #

House looked at his phone for the longest time after he hung up, turning over the conversation in his mind. Michelle was the queen of mixed signals, no doubt. It didn't make her any less appealing, but it was frustrating as hell.

Still, she was giving them another shot, so that couldn't be all bad. House pushed himself out of bed, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, finding his jeans on the floor where he had unceremoniously dumped them last night.

He found the Vicodin bottle deep inside and swallowed two before putting on his jeans and staggering to the kitchen. After finding his coffee cup, he dumped in a couple of spoonfuls of instant coffee, filling it with water and placing it in the microwave to heat.

The sound of a key in his lock pulled him from his thoughts. It could only be one person.

"Morning, Wilson."

Wilson walked in, looking a little stunned and disheveled. "Morning, House." He held up a bag and a drink holder. "I brought breakfast."

"Have you even been home?" House squinted at him suspiciously. "You dog! The panty peeler of PPTH strikes again!"

"No! It was nothing like that!" Wilson looked horrified. "Let me just say…that's the _last _time I ever let you hook me up with _anyone. Ever._"

House smirked behind his coffee mug. "This I've got to hear."

"You'd better sit down."

House settled in on the couch, grabbing one of the cups of coffee and a bagel from the bag. "Go ahead. I've got a while."

Wilson launched into his story, starting with picking up Sarah from her apartment, going to dinner, and dropping her off at her place.

House rolled his eyes. "Wake me up when this gets interesting, Wilson."

"I'm getting there, trust me." Wilson took a drink of his coffee. "So…she invites me in, we sit on the couch, we're talking, everything's…great. Then we get to talking about our exes…"

"Because that's just _awesome_ first date material. Way to go, slick."

Wilson glared at House's interruption. "…and she goes into this story of her last boyfriend…they were together for three years, had moved in together, were talking marriage. Then, he drops this bomb on her."

"Well?" House looked exasperated. "Don't leave me hanging."

"One day, he tells her he's leaving her…for a man."

House shrugged. "I've heard worse."

"And…he's starting…gender reassignment."

House's eyes grew wide. "Wow."

"Yeah. So…she totally breaks down sobbing, hysterical. She goes on and on about how men are pigs and can't be trusted, and throws herself at my chest. Suddenly, she falls asleep."

"And so you couldn't just leave her there." House shook his head and sipped his coffee.

"Right. I managed to slip away about an hour ago."

"Tell me you didn't leave her a note."

Wilson hung his head. "Yeah, I did."

"You idiot!" House smacked his own forehead. "Congratulations. You are now in possession of your very own stalker. Enjoy."

"You don't know that. She probably doesn't even remember."

"Which means…she's your next wife. I'm not sure what's worse." House drained his coffee and reached for another bagel.

"As always, thanks for your support." Wilson munched on his bagel. "By the way…how are things with Michelle?"

House paused, thinking before answering. "Let's see…we had a great day, went riding, stopped for food, practically made out in her driveway, and were just about to _totally _get it on when…"

"When what?"

"We were busted by the kid. Totally killed the mood."

Wilson winced. "Damn, sorry to hear that. Guess we both struck out."

"Ah, but I have a shot at redemption today. I'm about to head over. The kid is off to the beach for the day, so you know what that means…" House waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"It means I'd better head for home." Wilson gathered up the trash and headed for the door. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks. I think I'll need it."

# # #

House pulled into Michelle's driveway, feeling a little apprehensive after the previous night's events. He shut off the bike, removing his helmet and hanging it over the handlebars as he dismounted the bike.

He took a deep breath and rapped on the door with his cane. The door flew open, revealing Shannon, dressed in a bikini top, shorts, and flip flops, blond hair twisted into a messy bun.

"Oh, hey, Doctor House. Come on in. Mom's out back."

"Thanks." House started down the small hallway to the kitchen.

"Just so you know…" Shannon's voice stopped him before he got too far. "I think you're kind of a cool guy. It's been a long time since Mom's seen anyone, you know?" She approached him, leaning as if she was sharing a secret. "She really likes you, you know. Give her some time, she'll come around."

House appraised this young woman. "It sounds like…you're trying to hook your mom up. Why me?"

Shannon shrugged. "Why not you? You treat her pretty decent, and you're not trying to rush in here and take over."

A knock on the door ended the conversation. "I've gotta go. MOM!! I'M LEAVING!!! AND DOCTOR HOUSE IS HERE!!!"

House's ears were ringing. Jesus, that kid had a set of lungs on her. Michelle came trotting through the kitchen, cut flowers in her hand. "Bye, kiddo. Have a good day. Be home by eleven."

"I will." Shannon gave her mom a quick hug. "Have fun. Bye, Doctor House."

"Bye." The door slammed behind her. "The human tornado strikes again."

Michelle laughed. "I know, right?" She turned and headed back to the kitchen, making a right turn into her dining room, where she arranged the flowers in a vase.

"I've…got one more to add, if you don't mind." House ventured, reaching into his leather jacket.

Michelle looked surprised. "Sure…"

House produced a single yellow rose. "I come in peace. No pressure."

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Michelle took the rose from House and set it in the middle of the vase, surrounded by the other cuttings from her garden. "Look…about last night…"

"Don't." House placed a hand on Michelle's cheek. "Once you start rationalizing…"

"I'm not rationalizing. I'm explaining." Michelle took a deep breath before continuing. "I've dated since…since I split up with Shannon's dad, but I've never tried to have any sort of relationship with anyone. It just always seemed like more trouble that it was worth. So…I made this whole stupid set of rules for myself and the men I date. Now…I find myself throwing those rules out the window, but I don't have anything to replace them with."

House shrugged. "So…make it up as you go. Stumble along with the rest of us humans."

"That means opening myself up to a lot of possibilities." Michelle reached out and took House's hand from her cheek, holding it in her own. "I don't know you well, but I know your reputation. You aren't close to many people. You could hurt me without even trying just because I try to get too close."

"Yeah, well…" House didn't know what to say. She had pegged him pretty quickly. "Same goes for you. You boldly pursue me, seduce me, and then you run like hell. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

"I don't know." Michelle dropped House's hand. "I do like you, and I want to spend time with you, and I _definitely_ want to have sex with you. I'm just not crazy about being so open about it in front of Shannon."

House's mouth quirked upward. "Shannon seems to think she's pretty cool with it…as long as she doesn't bust us making out on the couch like a pair of teenagers."

Michelle chuckled. "It seems odd to think of her as anything but my little girl."

"I'll bet." House pulled Michelle close to him, lightly kissing her forehead. "Tell you what…the rules for us will be…no rules. Whatever happens, happens. Just don't jerk me around, okay?"

"I think I can do that." Michelle wrapped her arms around House, inhaling the combined scents of his leather jacket and his own scent.

"Good. Now…" House's hand spread out over Michelle's back as he lifted her chin, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. "Where did we leave off last night?"

Michelle laughed. "We've got some catching up to do if that's the case."

"Looks like we've got…" House checked his watch. "…a better part of the day to figure it out." He slipped a hand under her shirt and kissed her neck. "Seems we started right about here…"

Michelle tilted her head, simply enjoying the feel of House's lips on her neck. "Mmm…think we'd better move this elsewhere if you want to keep playing catch up."

"Why?" House continued up her shirt, easily popping the closure on the back of her bra. "That table will probably hold you."

"Greg!" Michelle giggled at House's boldness. "What about you?"

"Sex…releases endorphins…" House murmured as he worked his way down her neck. "Natural painkillers…" He broke away long enough to give her a teasing grin. "Trust me. I'm a doctor. I know this stuff."

"Right. How silly of me to doubt you." Michelle laughed softly.

"Damn right." House pushed Michelle until she was up against the dining room table. He quickly pushed her t-shirt off her body as she shoved his jacket off his shoulders. Michelle moved her hands under House's t-shirt, once again feeling the strong muscle underneath before taking it off him.

"Ah…I think I'm starting to remember now." House muttered as he took off her already unhooked bra, adding it to the steadily growing pile of clothing on the floor. He cupped each breast in his hands, lightly caressing the nipples with his thumbs, evoking a rough sigh from Michelle.

She climbed up on the dining room table, moving the flower vase aside so that she could lay down across it. House quickly undid her shorts, removing them, leaving her clad in only a pair of simple white cotton bikinis. He leaned down over her to kiss her along the waistline, pressing a hand against her pelvis, feeling her desire for him through her underwear.

He quickly removed them, pulling up a chair for himself and placing Michelle's legs on his shoulders. House started to leave a trail of kisses up the inside of one thigh, brushing the other with his hand, meeting in the middle, slowly inserting a finger inside her, stroking lightly.

"_Greg…_" Her voice came out as a whisper as she spread herself wider, wanting more.

He complied easily, slowly licking her, flicking her with his tongue, evoking a moan as she arched her back, taking all that he was giving her.

With ever increasing speed, House stroked inside Michelle with his finger, somehow sucking and licking her at the same time, and she reached out to grab the back of his head, bucking upward as the orgasm overtook her.

She finally came back down, visibly relaxing, her breathing and heartrate returning to normal. House rose and stood over her, grinning as he lightly kissed her neck.

"Come here, you…" Michelle sat up and wrapped her arms around him, spreading her hands over the small of his back.

"Mm…you hitting on me?"

"Maybe…" Michelle brought him closer, lifting his chin to draw him in for a long, lingering kiss. She could feel him harden against her. "Need anything?"

"Got it covered this time. I know to be ready for anything around you, wild thing." House grinned, leaning on the table as he reached into his back pocket, pulling the condom out of his wallet. "See, just like high school."

Michelle laughed, taking the packet from him and holding it in her teeth. She slowly unbuckled his jeans, shoving them and his boxers to the floor in one move. Ripping open the packet, she covered him and gently pushed him into the chair, settling on top of him as he entered her.

"Nice…" House stroked into her, grabbing her rear, developing a quick, steady rhythm. Soon his back arched, and Michelle could feel him tense as he let go inside her, throbbing as he finished, relaxing into her. "Damn…Stick a fork in me. I am _done_."

"We can always…relax, take a nap, watch a little TV…" Michelle gathered up her clothes and started dressing. "We've got all day."

House's mouth twisted in a smirk. All of it sounded good, along with a little more action from Michelle. As she said, they _did_ have all day.

# # #

**I've done my part, now you do yours. Push the little button and tell me what you think. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Finally got another chapter done. Thanks for your continued support, and as usual, I don't own any of it except the O/Cs.**

# # #

Foreman and Taub were poring over case files when they heard House's office door open on Monday morning. He seemed to be singing, but not at his normal attention-getting volume.

The two looked at each other with an arched eyebrow. Foreman spoke first, a smug smile crossing his face.

"Fifty bucks says House got lucky."

Taub threw a slight glare at Foreman. "Oh, no. I'm not putting any money on that." He studied Foreman's face closer. "Something tells me you know something I don't."

Foreman shrugged. "Let's just say…I saw something that makes me think I'd win this one."

House threw open the door between the office and the conference room before Taub could respond. "Got a case yet?"

Taub gestured at the files on the table. "Working on it."

"Fine." House nodded firmly. "Keep looking. I'll be in the clinic."

Taub could hear Foreman snickering before the door even closed. He gave Foreman another hard look.

"Okay, what is this 'something' you saw?" Taub's curiosity finally got the better of him.

Foreman looked even smugger, if that was possible. "Well…I was hunting down House to give him a case file and found him in the cafeteria. One of the clinic nurses was giving him a little…PDA, if you know what I mean."

Taub leaned back in his chair, arms folded, a smirk slowly unfolding on his face. "Think it's the same one who's been sending House flowers?"

Foreman shrugged. "It's possible. Think about it. Why else would House suddenly _want_ to hang out in the clinic?"

"Good point." Taub returned to the case files that were strewn across the conference room table. "So…I guess we can take our time looking for a case."

Foreman snorted in response. "Yeah, I'd say you're right."

# # #

The hint of a very masculine scent made Michelle look up. Sure enough, there was House, signing in on the clinic clipboard.

"Good morning, Doctor House." Michelle fixed him with a warm smile.

"Morning, Sunshine…Michelle." House smirked in response, then turned to Michelle's co-worker. "You're new."

"This is Aileen. She's filling in for Sarah today."

House nodded briefly, not really interested in the other woman. He was curious about Sarah's absence, if only so he could harass Wilson about it later.

"First file, please." House held out his hand, waiting for the familiar feel of Michelle slapping it in his hand. She obliged, touching his fingers as she passed it to him. Her touch never failed to send a jolt through him, bringing back pleasant memories of their weekend together.

"Exam Room Three." Michelle's hazel eyes met his blue ones, and House could tell that she was having similar thoughts to his own.

He leaned over the counter and stage-whispered, "Keep those naughty thoughts to yourself! Brazen hussy."

Michelle snorted as she watched House limp away, whistling some vaguely familiar tune. He was nearly to the exam room when it dawned on her what the song was. _Wild thing…you make my heart sing…_

She broke out in full laughter, causing Aileen to give her a very strange look. House, for his part, grinned when he heard Michelle's laughter at his subtle joke. Not that he would ever admit it, but he loved the sound of her laughter, and the fact that he was the cause made it all the sweeter.

He spent the next couple of hours working his way through the parade of idiots that filled the clinic, remembering why he usually did everything he could to get out of clinic duty. Finally things slowed down enough for him to sneak away, and House made his way back to the desk to sign out.

Michelle was holding down the desk alone, giving Aileen the first shot at a lunch break. House glanced at her as he signed out.

"I'm guessing lunch is out of the question today."

Michelle smiled slightly at him. "I'm afraid so. Just as well. Wouldn't want you to get tired of me."

House rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that'll happen. Free for dinner tonight?"

Michelle looked at him questioningly. "Maybe…what did you have in mind?"

House shrugged. "Pizza, maybe play some music, maybe…" He leaned over the counter, murmuring, "…make some music of our own, if you know what I mean…"

"I'll…think about it." Michelle was a little unnerved at the idea. They had spent a great weekend together, but she wasn't so sure she wanted that to spill over into the rest of the week. She wasn't quite ready to risk getting so attached to House.

"Well…you know. Leave a message on my phone, either way. If you decide to show up…seven o'clock will work."

"I will. See you around."

House nodded and headed toward the elevators. If he hurried, he might be able to catch Wilson. Maybe he had some clue about Sarah's whereabouts. If nothing else, it would give him something to take his mind off Michelle's strange reaction to his dinner invitation.

# # #

Wilson was finishing a case file when his office door banged open. House entered, an unreadable expression on his face, and plopped himself down on the couch.

"Something you want?"

House shrugged. "Figured you'd be ready for lunch, and since your girl isn't here…"

"Right." Wilson rolled his eyes, setting the case file aside. He knew something was on House's mind. Something was _always_ on House's mind. It was more a matter of drawing it out of him. Wilson folded his arms, leaned back in his chair, and waited.

House twisted his mouth and thumped his cane on the floor. Finally he spoke.

"I think I like her more than she likes me."

"What do you want me to do? Oh, I know. I'll write a little note and leave it on her desk. 'Do you like Greg? Check yes or no.'"

House scowled, rising to his feet. "Never mind."

Wilson sighed and rose from his chair, rounding his desk to catch House before he could leave. Obviously he had misread House, and he silently chided himself for doing so. "Hold on. Sit. Please?"

House glared at Wilson's pleading eyes, eventually closing the door and making his way back to the couch. Wilson returned to his desk, leaning back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. "So…I assume we're still talking about Michelle here."

"Duh." House snorted, looking down as he bounced his cane between his legs. "I…kind of invited her over for dinner tonight, among other things…if you know what I mean."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Oh, for God's sakes. If I'd known this was going to be all about your sexcapades, I would have let you keep on walking."

"She kind of put me off." House continued, ignoring Wilson's outburst. "Seemed odd after the…well, _you _know."

"You do tend to move a little…fast. Didn't Stacy move in a week after you started dating?"

"She exaggerates." House waved his hand dismissively. "What's your point?"

"No point, House. No point at all." Wilson rose from his chair and grabbed his lab coat. "Let's go grab some lunch."

"Sounds good." House pushed himself from the couch, relieved that he had been spared a Wilson lecture. Once they got to the cafeteria, he could hound Wilson about the missing Sarah.

# # #

"House, seriously." Wilson was getting more exasperated by the minute as they moved through the cafeteria line. "I have no idea why Sarah isn't here today. I didn't go back over there yesterday."

"Are you sure? Because if you wore her out…that would be _so_ you."

"While that would make for a great story…it's not even remotely true." Wilson gave his debit card to the cashier, taking his receipt while House continued to hound him. "Seriously, let it go."

House followed Wilson to a table, plopping down in the chair. "Fine. I'm sure she'll live to see another date with you. Maybe she'll share more of her scandalous past with you."

"That's more than Michelle's shared with you." Wilson shot back.

"That hurt, bro." House pretended to clutch his chest. "Michelle's shared plenty with me."

"Really?" Wilson arched an eyebrow at House. "What's her family like? Friends? Favorite foods?"

House didn't want to admit that Wilson might have a point. "I haven't known her that long. We've been busy…exploring other interests."

"Mm-hm." Wilson pondered House's statement, a thoughtful expression on his face.

House rolled his eyes. "What?!"

"Just saying…slow your roll. Find out a little more about her outside of the bedroom."

House grinned widely. "Been there and done that, Wilson."

It was Wilson's turn to be exasperated. "Too much information, House."

"Really? Because I'd be more than happy to _share_ more." House's smirk continued unabated as he reached across to steal a few fries off Wilson's plate.

"That's okay. Save it for Michelle."

# # #

House was sitting at his piano that evening, turning over his earlier conversation with Wilson in his mind. He had a point, even though House hated to admit it. Outside of her birthday and her daughter, House didn't really know much of anything about Michelle. Normally he would be curious, but House had gotten so caught up in the thrill of just being with her that it never occurred to him to find out about her.

She hadn't left a message on his phone, and it was already after seven. House figured it was safe to assume that he was on his own tonight. He softly played his piano, letting the notes calm his jittery nerves. No woman should have such an effect on him, especially a woman he barely knew.

His chiming phone brought him out of his reverie. A glance at the Caller ID revealed Michelle's number.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Michelle's warm voice carried through the phone. "Sorry I didn't call sooner. Things got crazy at the end of the day."

"No big deal." House tapped his foot on the floor, not sure what to ask next. "So…did you decide?"

"Open your door and you'll find out."

House grinned, pushing himself from the bench and limping heavily over to the door. He swung it open to find…nobody there. He huffed in annoyance.

"Nobody's here."

A girlish giggle erupted at the other end of the phone. "Try the outside door."

House turned out of the apartment, opening the outside door. Michelle was there, a mischievous grin on her face and a bottle of wine in her hand. "Mind if I come in?"

"Nope. If I remember right, I invited you."

Michelle entered, remembering the first time she had come here. House had mentioned something about 'dueting'. At the time, she wasn't sure if he meant musically speaking.

House noticed Michelle eyeing the guitars on the wall, conjuring up memories of their birthday dinner together. "Didn't you say you played?"

Michelle nodded, her hazel eyes lighting with excitement. "I haven't picked up a guitar in I don't know how long."

"Let me guess…about…eighteen to twenty years."

"Yeah. Guess life got too busy."

_How sad._ House couldn't imagine his life without music. It was the glue that held his soul together in his darkest times, his primary means of emotional expression. He went to the closet, pulling out his old acoustic guitar, the one he had gotten way back in his freshman year of high school, and set the case on top of his piano.

House pulled it out lovingly and handed it to Michelle. "Tune it up. Let's hear how much you've lost in twenty years."

Michelle's eyes went wide at the sight of the old guitar. "Oh, Greg, I couldn't. I don't want to wreck it."

"It's held up after all the abuse I've given it. I'm pretty sure you won't do too much damage to it."

She took the guitar, adjusting the strap and strumming the strings, tilting her head to listen to the individual strings as she tuned the instrument. Finally satisfied, she strummed a few chords before settling into a finger picking style.

House leaned against the piano, mesmerized by the obvious love and care Michelle showed for the old guitar, along with her skill. If this was how she played after twenty years away…wow.

"You and the old girl sound good together."

Michelle smiled and chuckled slightly. "You could join us, you know."

"Piano or guitar?"

"Either or. Pick one."

House sat down at the piano, not wanting to compete with Michelle's guitar playing. "Pick a song. I'll follow along."

"Wow…you're giving me a lot of power, you know that?"

House smiled, dipping his head. "I know. I'm ready for…whatever you choose."

Michelle looked thoughtful, running through thousands of songs in her mind. Finally she settled on something. _"You got a fast car…I want a ticket to anywhere…maybe we make a deal…maybe together we can get somewhere…"_

House simply sat and let her play solo, reveling in both her skill on the guitar and her smooth voice. She seemed to realize that he wasn't playing with her, and stopped about halfway through the song.

"Thought you were going to join me."

House shrugged. "I'd rather listen to you."

Michelle immediately felt self-conscious, moving to hand the guitar back to House. "It's not that big a deal, really."

House refused, pushing the guitar back to her. "It is. You're good, and you don't even know it. If this is how you sound after twenty years off…"

"No…this is about as good as I get. Sorry." Michelle rose, taking the guitar off and gently setting it back in its case. "I should go. I don't know why I came over here."

A hand fell on her shoulder before she could open the door. Michelle turned to see House's bright blue eyes boring into her. He stepped toward her, closing the distance between them, lightly stroking her cheek while moving his other hand from her shoulder to her waist.

"Something happened to you." House stated simply. "Something that made you shut down, close yourself off."

"And you want to know what that something is, don't you?" Michelle answered fiercely. "I'm not one of your medical mysteries, Greg. I'm not a puzzle."

"Didn't say that you were. Nothing wrong with trying to get to know you, is there?"

"I…guess not." Michelle murmured. "I don't know much about you, either, you know."

House twisted his mouth in irritation. "I should have known this would end up going both ways." He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "You take the wine, I'll take my bourbon, and we'll…get to gabbing. Or something. What do you like on your pizza?"

"Pepperoni and mushrooms." Michelle grinned.

House groaned. "I can't believe I'm spending time with a woman who likes mushrooms. That's it, get out."

Michelle laughed. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting rid of me that easily. Would you order up a salad to go with?"

"You're pushing it, woman." House growled.

Michelle merely grinned and picked up the guitar again, strumming a few chords. Tonight was starting to look up. Perhaps there could be a bit more to she and House than just hot sex. That could be…a good thing. Yes, definitely a good thing.

# # #

**Music Credits and stuff:**

**_Fast Car_, Tracy Chapman  
_Wild Thing_, The Troggs**

**This is the part where you read and review. Push the green button and tell me your thoughts. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Finally brought this one back from the dead to finish it up. Hate to leave a story hanging. As usual, I don't own them. :)**

# # #

The two of them settled in on the couch, the pizzas spread out before them, conversation flowing easily between them. This whole 'getting to know you' thing was going much better than either one of them could have imagined as they shared childhood stories, and even House managed to come up with a few stories of good memories, stories that didn't involve his father. That was a can of worms he didn't want to get into, not when the night was so clearly moving in a positive direction.

Eventually they finished off the pizzas, and House caught Michelle eyeing the guitar once again. House rolled his eyes and huffed in mock irritation. "Just pick up the damn thing and play it already. You're drooling all over my couch."

"If you insist." Michelle's eyes lit up as she gracefully rose from the couch and picked up the instrument once again. She picked the individual strings, checking the tuning. The old guitar held its tune remarkably well and she strummed a few chords, trying to figure out what song she wanted to play. Every damn song that ran through her mind seemed to remind her of Shannon's father, and that was the last thing she wanted to be reminded of right now.

"Are you going to pick a song or what?" House's eyes seemed to bore into her from the other end of the couch.

"Maybe if you weren't staring me down I'd be able to." Michelle told him firmly.

House scowled and settled back into the couch, watching Michelle as she strummed out a few chords. She finally shook her head and handed the guitar back to House. "Forget it. I've got nothing."

There was more to the story than indecision, House was sure of that. But pushing her had gotten nowhere, and more prodding would only drive her away. He heaved himself from the couch and returned the guitar to its case, quietly closing it and returning it to the closet.

Michelle was sipping at her wine, a faraway look in her eyes as she sat with one foot tucked under her on the couch. House soon joined her, sitting closer than he had previously, lifting his damaged leg to rest on the coffee table. He reached out to touch her knee, covering it with his palm and stroking it with his thumb.

She flashed him a quick smile and covered his hand with her own. "Sorry, I don't know what happened. Don't mean to be such a downer."

"Trust me, you're not." House's hand started moving up her soft thigh, drifting near the hem of her shorts. He moved in closer, brushing his lips to her cheek while sliding his hand further up the leg of her shorts, stroking the soft skin underneath. "I don't think you ever could be."

"You don't know me very well, then." Michelle's voice went soft as House's hand roamed over her bare leg, his lips drifting over her jaw and throat.

"I know you well enough." House briefly kissed her before he pushed himself off the couch, holding out his hand. "Come on."

Michelle looked a little baffled, and House rolled his eyes with exasperation. "I've seen your bedroom. Figured you'd want to see mine."

A smile curled onto her lips as she rose gracefully from the couch and took House's hand, using it to pull herself close to House. She reached up on tiptoe to kiss him. "I would love to see your room."

House wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss as his hands drifted to her backside. "We won't make it there if you don't quit distracting me."

"Like you've got room to talk." Michelle laughed softly. "I think it's the other way around."

He released her and gently guided her toward the hallway that led to the bedroom. "Just go, woman. I'm..." He lightly smacked her on the rear. "...right behind you."

She glared at him before heading down the hallway. "You are in such trouble when you get there. Just you wait."

House grinned as he followed Michelle down the hall. He couldn't wait to see what sort of 'trouble' he was in. Knowing Michelle, it could only mean something good.

# # #

House turned on the bedside light against the growing darkness of his room as he climbed in beside Michelle. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing kisses along her jaw as his hand roamed under her shirt. "So...am I in big trouble?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Michelle turned so that she was on her side, her lids shading her soft hazel eyes. She gently pushed House onto his back, carefully straddling him and bracing her hands on either side of his head before dropping in for a long, sweet, languorous kiss.

A soft groan escaped House as he moved to fumble with the button on her shorts, finally managing to undo it and the zipper to reach inside, shoving both shorts and underwear off her body in one move. She managed to shake them loose, and House ran his hands over her soft skin and luscious curves as he pulled her down to him to flip her onto her back.

He managed to straddle Michelle, pushing her shirt up to expose a simple black cotton bra, and he leaned down to run his tongue between her breasts, evoking a sharp gasp from her. The soft sounds of pleasure encouraged House further, and he reached under her to undo the hooks that held her in, slipping his hands underneath to roll her nipples between his fingers.

She arched upward at his touch, a louder moan falling out of her open mouth, and her eyelids fluttered over her eyes as she reached for the hem of House's shirt, tugging it until House took it off and threw it aside, not caring where it landed. Michelle pulled him down to her again, and his hands immediately found her breasts again, caressing them with his rough hands before taking first one nipple, then the other in his mouth, bringing them to full hardness before she finally stripped off the shirt and the bra.

Michelle lay naked before House, and he shifted so that he lay alongside her to get the full view of her soft, luscious body. House placed one hand on the inside of her thigh, slowly moving upward as he leaned over her to study her face.

Her lips were slightly parted, and her chest heaved up and down ever so slightly as his hand made its way up to her center. Suddenly her eyes flew open as House lightly stroked her, her desire obvious.

"Am I still in trouble?" He murmured in her ear, his voice low and seductive.

"Only if you stop." Michelle gasped softly, grabbing at the back of House's neck, squirming under House's touch.

"Well...we don't want that, do we?" House started working his way down, leaving a soft, wet trail of kisses from her throat, down her chest and stomach, brushing his lips just above the hair that surrounded her center.

He teased her with his tongue, lightly flicking at her as he slipped a finger inside, gently exploring her. She responded by arching her back, moaning as he brought her ever closer to the edge, fiercely grabbing the back of House's head, encouraging him further.

"My God...Greg...." Michelle's voice was a breathy gasp as she went over, and House could feeling her muscles contract over and over around his finger until she finally relaxed, lightly stroking the back of his head.

House pulled himself up to face Michelle, a slight grin on his face. "So...that was okay?"

A laugh bubbled up in her, and she pulled him down for a long kiss. "Better than okay."

"Good." House rolled over to his back, taking Michelle with him. She easily straddled him, her hands smoothing over his chest, running her fingers through his chest hair. He closed his eyes, just enjoying the feel of her hands over his body as she brushed her fingers along the waistline of his jeans, fingering his belt buckle.

He groaned at her teasing fingers, arching toward her touch. "Jesus, Michelle. You're killing me here."

"Am I?" Michelle's tone was deceptively light as she gently ran her fingernails down his stomach.

"_Yes_." House squirmed under her touch, and it sent a thrill through Michelle. She bent down to kiss him in the middle of his chest, working her way down to his belt buckle. Michelle slowly worked it loose, unbuttoning his jeans and taking her sweet time undoing the zipper. She could already feel his hardness through his jeans and boxers as she pulled them down, pushing them the rest of the way as House kicked them off his left leg.

Michelle took his shaft in her hand, bringing him to full hardness before taking him in her mouth, rolling her tongue all around him until she could feel him tense up. House's breaths came shorter and shorter as he gripped Michelle's head with one strong hand, holding her as he bucked upward, exploding into her mouth and relaxing with a loud groan. "Goddammit, woman. Come here."

She scooted up so that she lay next to House, curling up around him and laying her head on his shoulder. It would be so easy to just keep laying here, as if she had not a care in the world, no daughter waiting for her at home.

Michelle squeezed House around his waist and moved to get out of bed. He lifted his head, a baffled expression on his weathered face. "Where are you going?"

"Home." Michelle felt a bit of guilt clutch at her. "Don't want Shannon to worry about me."

"So call her." House rolled over so that he lay on his side, shifting to wrap an arm around her waist. "I'm sure she's fine. She's probably glad to get rid of you for a while."

"Oh, that's comforting." Michelle turned to give House a brief kiss. "Thanks, I think."

"That's not what I meant." House placed a small kiss on her lower back. "Just call the girl."

"Fine." Michelle rose from the bed, and House rolled over to watch her move around the bedroom. She was smooth, graceful, almost feline as she found her clothes and put them on.

"Don't know why you bothered with that." House growled. "You'll just have to take them off again."

Michelle laughed as she climbed back on the bed, straddling House and pressing a long kiss to his lips. "I don't mind giving you a show, but I don't need the neighbors checking me out. I'll be right back."

"You'd better." House lay back down on the bed, listening as Michelle padded down the hallway. He hoped that he could convince Michelle to stay, at least for a while, if not all night. It had been too long since a woman had shared his bed for longer than an hour or so, and he didn't want to admit it, but the nights got damned lonely.

House sighed and closed his eyes. Either she would return or she wouldn't, and he supposed he'd deal with whatever happened. He already knew which outcome he would prefer.

# # #

Michelle found her phone in her purse, picking her home number from her contacts and hitting send. As she suspected, nobody answered, so she hung up and tried Shannon's cell phone.

Shannon picked up on the first ring. "Hi, Mom. Where are you?"

"Still at Greg's." Michelle nearly choked on the words. "I...might be here for a while."

"No problem, Mom." Shannon's cheerful voice carried over the phone. "You should stay. I mean, if you're having a good time, you know."

Michelle smiled. Shannon had no idea. Actually, she probably did, and the notion bothered Michelle a little. "In that case...maybe I'll just stay all night."

"Mom!" Shannon giggled. "You're terrible!"

Michelle chuckled at her daughter's apparent discomfort. "Okay, maybe not all night, but it'll probably be a late one. Don't bother waiting up for me."

"Okay." Shannon answered. "I'll see you when I see you. Love you."

"Love you too, kid. See you later."

Shannon hung up, setting her phone on her bedside table and returning to her magazine. It was about time that her mom started getting back out there. She had wondered if her mom would ever stop hovering over her long enough to start dating again. It seemed that this Doctor House was, well, just what the doctor ordered. Not that she thought her mom should get married or anything, but she definitely needed to get out and get a life of her own.

On the other end of the phone, Michelle closed her phone and tucked it in her pocket. She would leave it within easy reach, just in case of emergency. She headed back down the hall, where House was sprawled out across the bed, eyes closed, but not snoring.

House's eyes popped open the moment Michelle entered the room and sat down on the bed. "So...what's the word?"

"The kid's fine." Michelle turned a warm smile toward House. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while."

House's face broke out in a small grin. "What are you waiting for? Get naked and get in here."

Michelle laughed. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Only one way to find out." House stretched an arm across the bed, inviting Michelle in.

She quickly undressed and climbed back into bed, curling up next to House and letting him wrap an arm around her. He dropped a gentle kiss on top of her head and pulled her in close to him, inhaling the fruity scent of her shampoo while he collected his thoughts.

It hit him how much he genuinely liked the woman that lay across his chest. Not that he was in love with her or anything, but he was...interested. Interested enough that he didn't want to share her with anyone else.

"Hey." House gently squeezed Michelle's arm. "You still awake?"

"Mm-hm." Michelle answered sleepily. "What's up?"

"Kind of wanted to ask you something."

There was a long pause before Michelle verbally encouraged him. "Well? Don't leave me hanging."

House shifted awkwardly. "Are you...you know...into anyone else?"

Michelle laughed softly. "No, Greg. I haven't been out in...well, a while. Let's just put it that way. Why?"

"No reason." House quickly answered. "Just curious."

"Right." Michelle snuggled a little closer to House, taking in the scent of his soap. "What about you?"

"Hello, have we met?" House snorted. "Trust me, you're it."

"Nothing wrong with that, is there?" Michelle wasn't quite sure where this conversation was going.

"Nope." House seemed to relax a bit. "Makes things a hell of a lot easier."

Michelle shifted so that she lay across his chest, looking into those bright blue eyes. "What things?"

"God woman, don't be dense." House rolled his eyes. This was a lot harder than he'd bargained for. "I just thought maybe we...could just see each other. You know, exclusively."

A slow smile spread across Michelle's face, lighting it up. "I think I'd like that very much."

House let out the breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. "Excellent. Glad we got that settled."

Michelle returned to her previous position, the smile still on her face. "So...I guess I can call you my boyfriend now?"

House groaned. "We're kind of old for that, don't you think?"

"I suppose we are." Michelle agreed. "It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Nah, not really." House squeezed her affectionately. "Now quit yapping and go to sleep, woman."

Michelle laughed softly and curled into House as he wrapped both arms around her, and she soon fell asleep. There went the last of her rules, right out the window. Normally she'd be upset, but she supposed all those rules weren't really necessary anymore anyway. Shannon would soon be starting her new life at Penn State, so it seemed only right that she start a new life, too. The thought warmed her as she sank into sleep, oddly soothed by the snoring man next to her. It was different, but she liked it. She really liked it.

# # #

House woke the next morning to find Michelle gone. He was oddly disappointed until he spotted the note next to the assorted items on his night stand.

_Greg--_

_Thank you for a lovely night. All rules are out the window now. :)_

_Michelle_

He slowly smiled and folded the note carefully, sticking it in his jeans pocket after he showered and dressed. Wilson was going to be in for one hell of a visit this morning. House hoped the young oncologist had a clear schedule.

House made his way into the hospital, and he heard a few whispers behind him about his uncharacteristically good mood. He paused near the clinic, where both Michelle and Sarah were hard at work registering patients and entering patient files. A sharp female voice reached his ear.

"We have a couple vacancies this morning, and you don't have a case." Cuddy was at his side, arms behind her as she spoke to House. "I'll see you in the clinic in fifteen."

House scowled as the elevator opened and he stepped on. "Fine. No more than two hours."

"I'm thinking four." Cuddy countered. "Two for this week and two for your backlog."

House rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I'll be there."

Cuddy smirked to herself as the doors closed. If hospital scuttlebutt was right, she suspected that House would mind clinic duty a lot less than he used to. Sometimes fate worked in very interesting ways, and in this case it worked to Cuddy's advantage. That couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

House stepped off the elevator and made his way into his office. A slow smile made its way onto his face as he saw the small bouquet on his desk. He could well guess who they were from, but he stopped to open the card anyway.

_Greg--_

_See you in the clinic._

_Michelle_

He smirked and dumped his backpack, hanging his jacket on the coat hook. Clutching his cup of coffee, he started down the hallway before he realized he had forgotten something.

House dug into the inside pocket of his leather jacket, glancing around to make sure no one was looking as he fished the orange rose out of the pocket. He tucked the rose in his front jeans pocket, checking that his shirttail covered up the head.

As he waited for the elevator, he noticed Wilson come up beside him. House glanced over at him. "Sarah's back today. I guess your date wasn't as traumatic as you thought it was."

"Guess not." Wilson was dreading the clinic this morning, knowing that Sarah would be there. He was kind of hoping for an opportunity to clear things up between them, even if it didn't lead to another date. Matter of fact, he'd rather it didn't lead to another date. The woman had...issues. "And how did things go with Michelle?"

"Glad you asked, Jimmy." House was a little too loud and cheerful as the two men stepped onto the elevator and into the crowd. "Pizza, music, good conversation, and a whole lot of something-something, if you know what I mean. And I do mean...a whole lot." He was exaggerating, but it had been a great night. Unbelievable, really. "I think I officially have a...what do you call a woman that you spend a lot of time with and occasionally have sex with?"

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes, that's exactly the word I was looking for." House grinned a little too wide for Wilson's comfort, then tapped his cane on the floor. "I've got a girlfriend."

"Good for you, House." Wilson couldn't help but smile at House's newfound happiness.

The elevator door opened and the two men headed toward the clinic. House signed in, Wilson right behind him. Wilson quickly took a case file off the desk, purposely avoiding Sarah. House, on the other hand, leaned over the desk, waiting for Michelle to notice.

"Got your note this morning." House's scent floated over the desk, immediately grabbing Michelle's attention.

"Oh good." Michelle's hazel eyes rose to meet House's bright blues. "I didn't want you to think I bolted on you."

He glanced around, dropping his voice. "Free for dinner?"

"I was going to cook up a little something." Michelle answered. "Shannon's going to be around for a change, and I figured we'd hang out. You're welcome to stop by. Dinner's around seven."

"I'll be there if I don't have a case." House took the file that Michelle held out, feeling that same jolt he usually felt between them. "See you later."

House worked his way through the pile of patients that filled the clinic that morning, easily fulfilling his obligation to Cuddy. After his last patient left, he took a moment to pull the quickly dying rose out of his pocket and stick it in the file folder.

He strode up to the desk, handing the file to Michelle and signing out on the clipboard. "2:00. Doctor House signing out."

"Right on time." Michelle's mouth quirked in a small smile. "See you later."

"Yes you will." House lumbered out of the clinic, humming to himself as he headed to the elevator that would carry him back up to his office. He kind of wished he had stuck around to see Michelle's reaction when she opened up that folder. Guess he would just have to find out from her later, and he would most definitely be seeing her later.

Meanwhile, down in the clinic, Michelle opened up the file folder House had just handed her. To her surprise and delight, a note and an orange rose fell out of the folder. She quickly picked up the note and read it.

_Michelle--_

_Not much for words, but I saw this rose and thought of you. Look up the meaning on the Internet if you're interested._

_See you tonight._

_G._

Curious, Michelle quickly got online and found the meaning of the orange rose. "_...admiration and attraction...with an underlying message of passion and excitement..."_ If that didn't describe she and House, she didn't know what did.

She smiled as she changed out the dying carnations for the one orange rose, pouring some of the water from her bottle into the small vase. It amazed her how quickly things had changed over such a short time. And to think...it had all started with a simple birthday bouquet.

**The End**

# # #

**Thanks to those of you who supported this story, and stuck with it. Read and review. :)**


End file.
